Mask
by Working-On-Sanity
Summary: In a world of chaos, Sasuke realizes that he has no identity. He is only one in hundreds of clones: he is just like everyone else. But a mission changes his life for the worse - sent to guard the Feudal Lord's son, Sasuke learns the hard way that sometimes, the unloved need love the most. Mild Naruto/Sasuke. Rewritten.
1. Identity Lacking

**MASK**

_(completely rewritten)_

**Summary: **In a world of chaos, Sasuke wonders if a clone will ever be able to truly exist. Denied a real name and persona, Sasuke lives as just a clone, a copy of another––until his mission to guard Naruto teaches him that the unloved need the most love.

**Author's Note: **This story, to me, is a blend of _Star Wars_ ideology on clones and the _Naruto_ world perception of them. I'm interested in studying genetics and what goes along with that, so it's fun to think about the possibility of clones. Be in mind that these are not clones as in _bunshin_, or doppelgangers that are created through Jutsu. Rather, they were created as clones, simply meaning they are completely human and tangible, but not unique until one learns to tell them apart by their quirks. Like zebras.

There are some special notes I must mention for those that are new to my writing or have not read _Mask _in a long time.

Firstly, not only did I rewrite the entire thing, I rewired it. I somewhat improved the plot and characterization. There are many differences: Naruto is twenty-seven instead of nineteen, and Sasuke is sixteen instead of seventeen. There are now slightly romantic feelings between Sasuke's brother clones, Taka and Hebi. Sakura is now much gentler and kinder than before, and I gave Hinata less of a stutter and more of a slow, weak speech pattern. Her stuttering was annoying to read.

Secondly, though this may annoy some readers, I abstained from nearly all Japanese words and phrases. I omitted entirely Naruto's _"dattebayo", _Sasuke's annoying "_dobe" _and _"usurakontachi," _and all usage of honorifics such as _kun, chan, _and _sama. _

All the _Jutsu _have been named with both their Japanese and English translation. An example would be "_Sharingan: _Mirror Wheel Eye" or simply "Mirror Wheel Eye." I would like to keep their dialogue similar to how it is translated in the Viz version of the manga.

Also, I gave this story a cover. I may redo it, since I wanted to draw it before publishing this new version. But apologies for the extended author's note: please enjoy the new version of _Mask._

* * *

**0000**

**Chapter One: _Identity Lacking_**

**0000**

"Clone 723?" With only his voice giving warning of his presence, Taka tentatively peered around the sharp corner of the metal door frame, his narrow black eyes scouring the bunk room critically.

"Clone 723, this place is disgusting," he announced as he paced in uninvited, an air of professionalism surrounding him in the form of suppressed intimidation. His voice echoed hollowly, ricocheting from the steel-plated walls and somehow enhancing the disappointment that coated his tone. He frowned with distaste as he delicately stepped over a soft mound that may or may not have once been a neatly folded pile of khaki slacks. He vaguely wondered if the deplorable articles of clothing had been in the slow process of escaping from the musty confines of the room.

"Shut up!" Sasuke––as he insisted his name was, not '723'––scrambled from beneath the rumpled cot, revealing to the scrutiny of his superior that his flak vest was unbuttoned, his hair was uncombed, and his face was contorted in a most vicious scowl. Had it been early in the morning, Taka would not have been even mildly surprised at "Sasuke's" appearance. But noting that it was past noon, when all other occupants of the living quarters were taking a deserved break from combat simulation and eating a midday meal, Taka could only express dismay over Sasuke's lack of punctuality.

"What are you _doing_?" he asked sternly, crunching his fingers into fists and shoving them against his hips. "You're a mess, and I came here to tell you that the Hokage wished to have you come to her office for an assignment. I'd hate to be in your place––Lady Tsunade can get irritable when she's kept waiting."

"I said _stuff it_, Taka!" Sasuke snapped, his eyes squinted in a dangerous display of indignant rage. A telltale red patch clung to his cheeks, proving his anger and his poor attempt at stifling it.

Defensively, Taka raised his hands, shielding his masked face from the impending blow. "Great grief, _Sa-su-ke_," he said sarcastically, drawing out the name. "I know that it might be difficult being the youngest out of five hundred, but you don't automatically have the right to play the role of drama queen. Can you not just get properly dressed and do as you've been told?"

"And can you not do as you've been told and _get out of my room_?" Sasuke said in retort, stomping to the small desk that resided in the corner to begin jerking each drawer open. Pencils reduced to nubs, bullet shells, and wads of hardened chewing gum wrapped in tissues were unearthed, the litter falling to the floor as it was disturbed by Sasuke's violent motions.

Taka sighed deeply, shoving his slim fingers into his coarse hair and tugging roughly, as if to punish himself for even having stepped into the room.

His comment of Sasuke "being the youngest out of five hundred" had apparently been more insensitive than he had intended. It was true, of course––but not only was being the youngest difficult, it must have also been taxing on Sasuke's mind being the youngest _clone,_ as well.

The whole situation was dependent on the Hidden Leaf Village's military system. The small town was merely a dot on any map, being widely recognized only for its astounding act of delving into what few others had attempted––cloning. An entire heavily armored base had been constructed for that very purpose, the enormous building being equipped with the most advanced of security mechanisms only to keep the clones themselves free from the prying eyes of both reporters and citizens whom were protesting against the cruelty of such a deed as cloning.

Although the Hidden Leaf Cloning Base had only began with one bold geneticist and a willing subject, it had quickly grown into a much larger project. Now, not only were the studies of hereditary abilities taking place, combat training and Jutsu tutoring had become a necessity to the population of clones. Spending large slices of the organization's budget on Taijutsu and Ninjutsu teachers was not something that the officials were keen on, but if they managed to improve the military services, then it would be deemed successful and most definitely worth the effort.

The greatest issue with training the clones, though, was the fact that they were so extremely talented. While the average Shinobi of their rank would barely be capable of performing student-grade spells, the clones could easily execute an attack that was normally reserved only for Chunin. Their rate of growth was so rapid that even the tutors had difficulty in curbing their strength in skirmishes. Because of their short tempers, stoic attitudes, and sharp words, they frequently became tangled in fights amongst themselves, fights that would ultimately climax with some slow-healing injury. This common occurrence had irritated the teachers until many of them had resigned.

Thus, because of the clones' heightened skills, Konoha's government had issued the order that they were not to be ranked as other Ninja were. "Genin," "Chunin," "Jonin," and "ANBU" were ranks that the clones reached much too easily and at an age too young for intense battles. Instead, they were to be grouped by their strength, given badges to denote their power. Rather than having only four basic ranks, once a clone attained the status of ANBU, there were six more marks he must receive––Red ANBU, Green ANBU, Blue ANBU, Black ANBU, Silver ANBU, and Gold ANBU.

This method had proven to be more effective in deciding which of the clones were allowed on the field, but, for the more competitive and jealous duplicates such as Sasuke, it served to be only another incentive for provoking fights.

"Sasuke, have you been in another squabble with someone again?" Taka groaned, pressing his palm to the smooth forehead of his mask. "Is that what the Hokage wants to see you about? If it is, as your older brother, I will gladly beat some sense into your backside."

"Leave me alone, Taka," Sasuke groused, slamming a drawer shut and stalking hastily to the closet. He pulled the door open, and instinctively stumbled backwards as numerous discarded garments tumbled from the shelf. His irate mood intensifying, he kicked the wrinkled heaps of stockings and muddied gloves away, launching into the task of searching for something.

"Fine, fine," Taka replied, thoroughly vexed by Sasuke's behavior. "I'm going already. Just make sure to mention to Lady Tsunade that, for the record, I _did _call on you at the right time."

"Whatever," Sasuke said in a mutter, never glancing up. He did not ease out of the cluttered closet until he was certain that the soft tapping sound was Taka's retreating footsteps, and even after carefully listening, he remained in the closet for a few added minutes.

_I'm going to go to the Hokage's place, I'm going to get my mission, and then, I'm going to wipe that smug grin right off your face, Taka, _he vowed maliciously, emerging into the stark white light that had been denied access to the storage cabinet. He scowled, cupping a heavy oblong object in the crook of his arm as he closed the door. Picking his way through the disorderly mess, he paused in front of the small mirror and stared blankly at his darkened reflection.

_I really, really wish I didn't look exactly like him_, he silently griped, surveying the way his eyes squinted and his lips pursed in the compact circle of a pout. Not for the first time, he was overwhelmed by gratitude for his mask––he had finally discovered its whereabouts when cowering in the closet. Slowly, he slid it from its place tucked beneath his arm, and looked it over lovingly.

Although the heavy ceramic was chipped and dented, and the intricate design was fading and the paint peeling away, he would have never been able to get another one if he wished to. Among the clones, masks were considered their face––even though each of them were exactly identical in appearance, it was simple to distinguish them from one another as long as they were wearing their masks. The disguises had been molded in the likeness of birds, cats, dogs, and dragons, and with each mask painted differently and bearing hand-painted patterns, while wearing them, it was impossible for one to mix up their identities.

But that wasn't the reason why Sasuke cherished his mask. If had been merely a sign of his separate self, than he would not have cared––in contrast, he would have detested it. Rather, the mask was, to him, a way of hiding from his peers. As long as his face was covered, there was no way for his fellow clones to snidely remind him that he had not washed away the dirt from the previous day's training session, or to notice when he frowned with boredom or sulked while pretending to enjoy their conversations.

He straightened his posture determinedly, pressing the cold solidness of his mask to his cheeks and tying the twine behind his head with a firm jerk.

How he hated Taka.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

Much could be learned about the personality of Fifth Hokage Tsunade by simply entering her office and observing the state of misfortune that the room was in. The amount of garbage and misplaced articles was so tremendous that it surpassed the jumble of even Sasuke's living quarters. The desk was enormous, stretching from one wall to the other with barely enough room along the sides for a body to squeeze in behind it. Crumpled sheets of paper, manila envelopes, confiscated bingo books, and sticky bottles emptied of rice wine were strewn over the desktop and spilling onto the surrounding floor. Even the plush chair, which Sasuke thought of as being a throne on which the Hokage's prideful rear could rest, was stained with various alcoholic beverages and becoming threadbare.

That being noted, it could be safely assumed that Lady Tsunade was a very preoccupied woman, whose office was only touching the borderline of presentable because her assistant tidied everything except the desk, which no mere mortal, save Tsunade herself, was allowed to touch.

"Lady Hokage?" Sasuke stood still for a moment, rousing enough respect to stiffly lower himself to a kneeling position and glaring up at the blonde through half-lidded eyes. He was struck once again by the realization of how young and healthy Tsunade appeared, despite her true age and time-consuming job. She was actually quite attractive, a thought that Sasuke was often pinched by but would never admit to anyone. In fact, if he had not been aware of the spell technique that made her seem so fresh and youthful, he would have guessed her to be no older than twenty.

"Taka said you sent for me, Milady?" Sasuke awkwardly fumbled with the knot that held his mask against his face, untying the strings and removing the cat disguise. His cheeks were flushed and glistening with perspiration from his hurried rush to the office, his crooked bangs were plastered to his forehead. He prayed that Tsunade was in a mood pleasant enough to refrain from scolding him.

"Hm?" Not showing any signs of being annoyed, Tsunade looked up from her hefty stack of reports and warily regarded Sasuke's presence. It seemed as though she did not recognize him, her amber eyes glazed over with drowsiness––then, suddenly, she went rigid, and with a smack of her palm against the desktop, launched into an explanation without bothering to provide insight to her own odd actions.

"I've been waiting for you to come, Sasuke," she briskly said, snapping the creased bundle of papers straight and tossing the pile aside. "I was afraid that Taka had forgotten about telling you. I specifically ordered him to have you over as soon as possible... but never mind that. I was looking for an envelope that had the list of all the missions given to Konoha's ANBU, because there was one specific, very important task that I thought might be excellent for you. In fact, you're the only ANBU I'd want to do this job."

"R––really?" Sasuke didn't even attempt to conceal the way his voice cracked with eagerness and disbelief. The Hokage _never _allowed someone to choose his own mission or even to decide whether or not he wished to take one. Why was she offering him the choice? He suspiciously accepted the packet that she held out to him, and his fingers shook imperceptibly as he unhooked the metal clasp. Withdrawing a sheet of paper, on which was a very lengthy description of this particular mission, he quickly raked his gaze over the writing and swallowed the words into memory. His eyes widened, and he jerked his head up to dumbly stare at Tsunade.

"The Feudal Lord's son?" he blankly said. "You're asking _me _to guard the _Feudal Lord's son_?" Before the Hokage could reply, he barged forward in his rant: "I didn't even know the Feudal Lord had a son! I couldn't just leave my training to go off on a long-term trip to be a bodyguard, especially without even being paid for it! And anyway––" he thrust the folder at Tsunade, blatantly proving his shocked disgust of such a request––"anyway, what kind of creeps could be after a kid?"

Lifting her hand to silence Sasuke's agitated babbling, Tsunade's mischievous grin showed that she was preparing to contradict his statement. "Sasuke, you do realize that the Feudal Lord's son is not a 'kid,' as you would think. He is a man, and he's twenty-seven years old. You are only sixteen, correct?"

Baffled by the unexpected information, Sasuke fell silent, Tsunade being oblivious to the fact that she had just crushed his brief feelings of authority over believing that he was older than his charge. She expertly continued:

"Now, as you know, the nations who are against the Land of Fire are intent on the Feudal Lord's death. And with the Shinobi World War coming ever closer, the dangers become greater, too. The Feudal Lord's security has been tripled, and wherever he goes, he must go with twelve of his own guards––while he prepares the decree for war, his son must be transported to the next village for safety. If he is unprotected, he would be a prime target for enemies; without an heir to the Feudal Lord's status, it would be simple to kill the lord himself just to leave the country without a ruler."

"Well, that's all fine and nice, but what does that have to do with me?" Sasuke demanded, shoving his fists into his hip pockets and studying with some inexplicable curiosity a dent in the hardwood flooring. The Hokage ignored his pretense of being bored, and resumed her speech.

"If the foes get a chance, Sasuke, they will kill the Feudal Lord's son while he is on the journey to his destination. But with a skilled elite ANBU as his escort, encountering enemies would be very unlikely. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"But, Milady," Sasuke interrupted, "why are you asking me to do this? I mean, you could have gotten one of my upperclassmen to do it––Taka, Hebi, or anyone else could do almost as good as I could. As much as I hate saying it, they're more experienced than I am in this sort of thing. They've gotten to go on more mission than I have."

"Sasuke," the Hokage sighed, "if I didn't know you personally, I would be upset with you. I realize that your friends do demean you, but that is no reason for you to start having your own little sessions of pity over yourself. You, as well as the other clones, have inherited all the staunch perseverance and strength of the past Hokage from who you were created––you have the very genes of the most powerful Fire Style user ever to live running through you!

"There is no sense in putting yourself down. I've seen how cocky you and the other clones are. You are on your way to becoming an amazing Shinobi, Sasuke, but as long as you doubt what you are capable of, you will stop in your advancement. So don't think of yourself as being any less important or less needed than Taka or Hebi, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sasuke answered, his voice dipping with a newly discovered meekness. He uncomfortably nudged the toe of his boot against the floor, his mind hazily reeling from the explosion of information and gentle chiding. Somehow, being kindly reprimanded by Tsunade ached much more than being kicked or roared at.

"Are you going to accept the request?" Tsunade hurled the question at him, seeing that he was now subdued and unwilling to lash back with a curt remark.

"Because even if you don't, just remember that you're the first one I asked," she added smugly, knowing that such a courtesy would not go unheeded.

Sasuke flinched at the tartness of her tone, and, inwardly wishing a curse to fall upon his weakness, nodded his head submissively.

"I... I guess I'll do it," he said unhappily, ignoring the Hokage's latter comment. "But... um... don't tell my team where I'm going."

He would much rather slip away from the cloning base quietly, than to have his entire squad be given the knowledge of where he was traveling. It was inevitable that they would pester him over the matter, and Taka would undoubtedly play the part of "mother," reminding Sasuke to pack extra gloves and healing ointment for the trip. Sasuke breathed a long sigh of relief when Tsunade shook her head, stray wisps of blonde hair brushing her jawline.

"I won't say a word," she promised, her painted lips curving in a smile. Then, abruptly, she moved her hand in a swatting gesture, her red nails glinting in the afternoon sunlight. "Now go on, already. I have asked Shizune to summon a Chunin to guide you to the Feudal Lord's residence, so they should be outside. Go ahead, get out, out."

She said this brashly, as if the very idea of having a child in her office made her nauseated; had she not just displayed the extent of her care for Sasuke seconds earlier, it would have never been evident how highly she regarded him.

Sasuke did as he was bade, but a slight grin lifted his mouth in spite of how melancholy he felt. "Thank you, Milady," he said gratefully. He turned for the door, tugging his hands from his pockets and struggling to tie his mask against his face. Just as suddenly, his grin was gone and vanished, replaced by the chilly ceramic snout of the unfeeling cat disguise.

Tsunade closely watched his retreating back, not one detail escaping her steady gaze. She noticed how his shoulders were tense and round, but although his posture was tight, there was something about his composed gait that let her be certain that he was content with the decision to take the mission.

_I do hope that going off on this important job will help him. _She inwardly groaned at her thoughts, spreading her hands across the desk. _I know that it's possible to feel superior and inferior at once, but Sasuke takes it to an entirely different level. It can't help him any being under the feet of his older brothers, either––but if he manages to get over his own personal issues while he's on this mission, then the Leaf just may become home to one of the greatest Shinobi since the Uchiha Hokage of years ago._

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"I can't thank you enough, Sasuke." Minato Namikaze's lips split in a joyous, perfect white smile, one of those smiles which was so wide that Sasuke suspiciously wondered if it was indeed genuine. He already disliked Minato, after just meeting him. The Feudal Lord was simply _too _happy to be a man who was under the threat of being murdered. Sasuke intently observed him through narrowed eyes, and it was very fortunate for Minato that Sasuke's expression was hidden behind the carved muzzle of his cat mask.

"You see," Minato said as he cheerfully led Sasuke down the wide hall, "we had to file this situation as a request, since Naruto was so stubborn about the whole thing. He believes I ordered him a babysitter rather than a guard, but you do know how children can be."

_No, in fact, I don't know how children can be, especially dirt-rich twenty year old ones! _Sasuke sarcastically growled to himself. But he only told the Feudal Lord sweetly, "Yes, I understand. It must be difficult raising a boy on your own."

_And I'm dishing out fake sympathy and lying through my teeth! _Sasuke obediently followed Minato, warily glancing from one corner to the other. It was as if he expected to be ambushed by a band of mediocre Ninja who had less than honorable intentions. To calm his fluttering nerves, he closed his eyes, concentrating on the gentle weight that hugged his back. His polished sword rested in the cheap leather sheath strapped around his shoulder, and being sure of its thin blade soothed Sasuke.

_Yes, this will turn out perfectly fine_, he assured himself. It was only a mission, albeit a long one. There was no need for him to begin worrying so soon––nervously, he pressed his palm to his belly. If he began to fidget now, he would be suffering from a vicious stomachache even before he stepped outside with the Feudal Lord's son in tow.

"I'm sure that Naruto was in here earlier this afternoon," Minato mumbled, preoccupied with peering through the slit of a barely opened door. He gave a sudden exclamation––Sasuke silently squealed "eureka!" simultaneously, merely to mock the lord––and stood up straight, pulling the door completely open to reveal the spacious room that had been concealed behind it.

It was only natural for Sasuke to gape at the array of weaponry on the floor before realizing that there was a person standing in the midst of the clutter. A variety of Shuriken, Kunai, and Senbon covered the ground in almost a carpet of pointed metals––Sasuke could only lust after the sensation of holding one of the heavy throwing stars in his hand. With the Shinobi War drawing closer, the demand for weapons increased, thus causing the prices of such equipment to escalate. He rarely was given access to such masterfully manufactured weapons, and he immediately felt a rush of envy.

"Dad!" The man who slouched in the center of the room wailed dramatically, his countenance crumpling with piqued pride. "Why'd you bring a kid in here while I'm practicin'? I can't _hit _anything with someone watching me, you know what I mean?"

Sasuke swallowed back his jealousy, and felt painful prickles creep up his neck. Without warning, the man had fixated his gaze to him; his eyes were round and teasingly beseeching. While Sasuke normally would have memorized all the features of an individual in those few seconds that he was being stared at, he knew, when the man turned back to his father, that he had seen nothing about him other than how odd his eyes were.

"I'm sorry to intrude on your practice, Naruto," Minato apologized. "But I wanted you to meet your escort. This is Sasuke." He swept his arm toward Sasuke, who stood stoically beside him.

"Oh!" Naruto grinned excitedly at this welcome news, picking his way through the pool of weaponry and sticking out his large, clumsy hand. "Hi, fella. I'm Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki."

Raising an eyebrow in blatant distaste, Sasuke considered ignoring Naruto's friendly gesture, but thought better of it upon noticing Minato's steady gaze. Restraining a bitter sigh, Sasuke limply dropped his gloved palm against Naruto's rough bare one and allowed his hand to be grasped enthusiastically.

"Sasuke, huh?" Naruto squeezed Sasuke's fingers a bit too tightly, and Sasuke hastily withdrew, indiscreetly wiping his hand on the side of his slacks to rub away the sensation of Naruto's sweaty touch.

"And you're Naruto. Hmm." Sasuke clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth in appraisal. "You act pretty loose, for being threatened with death and all."

At this remark, Naruto and Minato cast wide glances toward one another, before breaking the quietness with a bout of boisterous laughing.

Naruto struggled to speak, his snickers cutting into his words. "Sorry, Sas', but death ain't been put on my head yet. You're just gonna have to wait awhile longer for that to come about."

Stunned by both the babyish nickname and the flippancy in his tone, Sasuke glared at Naruto, annoyance flaring in his narrowed eyes. His ugly expression clearly betrayed his appreciation of the surge of anger that welled in his belly, and silently, he brooded. Though Naruto and Minato's laughter had not been given to deliberately offend him, he felt wounded, as if they were purposely attempting to disregard his somberness. Was it wrong of him to treat the matter of guarding Naruto with respect and dignity? Was it wrong of him to feel important, having been given such a significant mission?

"I'm surprised you _haven't _been murdered yet," Sasuke said, never once shifting or backing away.

Naruto watched him for a moment, as if unable to decide how to react. Finally, he gave another barking laugh.

_Is laughing his answer to everything? _Sasuke wondered, awe softening his vexation. He himself could never summon the will to laugh, and when he did, it was accidental, and made his throat sting. _Does he just play off seriousness if he can't handle it?_

"You're funny, Sasuke," Naruto said with a large smile, his cheeks curving and his eyes creasing at the corners. Once again, Sasuke found himself captivated by Naruto's eyes. What was it about them that seemed so fascinating and surreal? They looked relatively normal, as far as Sasuke knew. Round and blue, like cheap toy glass marbles, and constantly darting, never appearing to be focused on anything. They were glazed by an emotion Sasuke couldn't quite describe––the lack of concern that came with being carefree?

_That's it, _Sasuke realized. He had never seen a look like that in reality. It was an expression of distance, not being preoccupied with physical matters or challenges. It was simply childlike. Did Naruto truly hold that little worry or care for the possible dangers that lay in his future? How could he believe so staunchly that he would be protected from harm?

Mentally shaking himself from pondering, Sasuke quickly averted his attention to the current situation.

"...I'll just have to get my knapsack, then we can head off." Finished with whatever he had been saying, Naruto tossed a stray Shuriken toward the wall with an air of finality. Its point caught in the plaster, and it hung there precariously.

"We're leaving now?" Sasuke stared at the Shuriken, refusing to acknowledge Naruto. He hoped that Minato would answer his question, but as all hopes are ignored, so were his.

"Sure we're leaving," said Naruto nonchalantly. "I got my bags all packed. I'm ready if you are, Sunshine."

"Naruto is a little independent," Minato explained apologetically. "His things have already packed, and I've talked to him about behaving. He should be fine."

"Baloney, Dad," Naruto interrupted. "You know I'll behave okay."

"Of course you will," Minato briskly said, his voice plainly stating that he doubted the fact. "And if you don't, I'm giving Sasuke my permission to––"

"Blechh." Naruto made an odd strangling noise, cupping his hands over his mouth and making a show of pretending to vomit. "You _weren't _about to say that he can rap my knuckles with a ruler. Honestly, Dad. I'm an adult, not a toddler."

"You could have fooled me," Sasuke muttered.

Disapprovingly, Minato lowered his chin to peer down the slope of his nose at Naruto. "Pardon?"

"Nothing, Dad." That bright smile spread over Naruto's face again as he turned to Sasuke. "Hey, Sas', you wanna go on to the front door with my dad? I've just got to go get my stuff and I'll meet you there."

Surprised, Sasuke nodded stiffly. "Of course."

_Is he for real? _Sasuke wrinkled his nose in disgust as he paced from the room, following Minato through the halls. _He's such a kid. No wonder Minato wants to get rid of him. If a gang of foreign Ninja did happen to kidnap him, they'd bring him right back. I sure wouldn't be able to stand him!_

Not once did the thought of adapting to Naruto's rowdy, outspoken personality enter his mind. Sasuke had never been exposed to people similar to Naruto––he had always been surrounded by his shy brothers and ones such as them. He enjoyed quietness and peace and an atmosphere of calmness. Just in these few moments of knowing Naruto, he already disliked him. Naruto acted noisy and comfortable and jittery, and his aura was reminiscent of a tightly coiled spring: he always seemed ready to bounce into motion.

Sasuke shuddered, crossing his arms over his chest and clenching his fingers into his elbows.

He didn't _want _to spend five weeks with Naruto Uzumaki.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

**Author's Note:** I woke up at four-thirty this morning. There was a bug on my wall, and I was afraid to kill it. Anyway, I managed to rewrite the latest chapter, so I've already rewritten the entire thing, a task I thought would take me all summer. So now I'm working on a new chapter. Yay?


	2. Morbid Conflicts

**MASK**

**Author's Note: **Just because I failed to mention it last chapter, I will mention it now. The recurring side characters Taka and Hebi will play a moderate role. Though they are made up, they are not technically OCs. They are clones of Sasuke, and their personalities are basically the same as his. I just gave them different names to tell them apart. That's almost as clever as Sasuke's identification number: 723. His birthday. My but I'm surprisingly not clever.

* * *

**0000**

**Chapter Two: _Morbid Conflicts_**

**0000_  
_**

The silence pressed against Naruto's eardrums mercilessly. Unaccustomed to a state of such quiet, he felt himself growing agitated and nervous. He _always _surrounded himself by noise. His father's dojo constantly vibrated with racket; the rooms echoed with clattering footsteps or the jingling of Ninja weapons, and the training quarters continuously rang with the student's cries of determination to force his opponent into defeat.

Now that everything was silent, Naruto had the chance to think seriously––an activity he seldom engaged in.

It made the entire ordeal even more awkward that Sasuke simply padded in front of Naruto down the narrow dirt path, without a word of introduction or an attempt at getting to know Naruto personally. Naruto only knew Sasuke's name, and even that minute morsel of information would have been denied him, had his father not shared it.

Sasuke strolled along with a completely unconcerned aura about him. Naruto began to wonder if the cocky ANBU even knew he walked behind him at all. He seemed to be ignoring Naruto to the fullest.

Ambling behind Sasuke, all Naruto could really see of him were the tousled spikes of hair that fell across his nape. Every inch of Sasuke had been covered with either heavy denim fabric or flexible steel armor plates. Not an inch of skin was exposed––even his ears were hidden by his long bangs. As he walked, his fringe swung to and fro, glowing almost purple in the strong orange sunlight.

"Um... hey, Sasuke?" Naruto ventured, his voice sounding much too loud. Unable to tolerate the silence any longer, he spoke again, not truly caring if Sasuke did not answer.

"You look pretty tough," Naruto said, hoping a compliment would soften Sasuke's apparent dislike toward him. "That's neat, since you're still a kid. How old did you say you were?"

"I didn't say," Sasuke said, a frown deepening his already low tone. "I'm seventeen next summer."

"So you're sixteen? That is pretty neat. You in Black Ops yet?"

Flinching, Sasuke hid his unease behind a careless reply. "No. Who even made the assumption that I _want _to join Black Ops?"

"Oh." Naruto paused, rubbing the crook of his forefinger pensively against his cheek. "Then, you weren't accepted."

"Stop making guesses."

"You weren't, were you?" Naruto pressed, and in a whirl of exasperation, Sasuke flung up his hands in defeat.

"If you _really_ do need to know, I did try out for Black Ops. I failed." Through the slits in his mask, his squinted eyes shone like hard black stones. His glare was so venomous that Naruto looked away, directing his attention to the rolls of gray clouds overhead.

"Might rain," he said observantly, swiftly changing the subject. "You bring any shelter?"

Somewhat comforted by the fact that Naruto was polite enough to stop interrogating him, Sasuke continued walking, listening to the sounds of gravel crunching beneath the ridges of his boot soles.

"It won't rain," he said at last, tilting his head up to peer into the bright sky, never missing a step. Only a few sulky clouds had congregated in the corner, leaving the rest of the sky a oceanic teal broken only by fat, powdery white clouds.

"How do you know it won't?" Curiously, Naruto quickened his pace until he sauntered right alongside Sasuke. Only a quick glance proved that Sasuke realized he was there, and just as hastily, he swerved his unwavering gaze to the horizon.

"I took a special kind of training," he said coolly, but his voice reflected some sort of remorse that Naruto couldn't quite label. "Most Shinobi don't take the training that I did. But I learned a little of everything. Gauging direction, hunting, identifying scents and sounds... Reading my surroundings was one of the things they really stressed."

Naruto waited for Sasuke to continue his explanation, but Sasuke seemed satisfied with the answer he had given.

"So why were you sent to be my escort, then?" Naruto asked. "If you're only starting out as an ANBU. With me being in line to ruling the Fire Country and all, I'd think the Hokage would send out a group of Black Ops or a few upper-class Ninjas."

He didn't believe his question sounded snide or haughty, but he instantly regretted having asked it as Sasuke jerked around to stare at him. Naruto could practically see the anger manifest in his stony eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean? What do you think––I'm not _good _enough to guard you?" Sasuke snarled the words in a manner so feral that Naruto clenched his fists at his sides, struggling to contain his surprise.

"I didn't mean to pry––are you always so sensitive?" Naruto bluntly said. He raised an eyebrow searchingly, almost daring Sasuke to advance.

"And are you always so nosy?" Sasuke retorted, swinging out one arm and unfurling his fingers in a gesture of disbelief. "I was personally sent here by the Lady Hokage herself! She trusts me enough to give me a mission as big as this! How much more do you have to know?"

"More than just that little bit, Sunshine." Naruto squared himself, folding his brawny arms over his chest and creating a very effective barrier between himself and Sasuke.

Sasuke grit his teeth with such force that Naruto heard the reverberating click. He squeezed his fists tightly, his nails digging into his palms. Naruto watched him wrestle against his escalating temper with interest, listening to the way his harsh breathing echoed in the hollow of his mask.

_I hate you, I hate you, I absolutely hate you. _Sasuke recited the words over and over again. Had it not been for his overwhelming desire to gain ranks, he would have lashed out at Naruto. He coveted the badges that designated a seasoned ANBU so greatly that he could practically feel the soft metal squares between his fingers. But if he failed to bring Naruto safely to his destination, he would never become a Red ANBU. If he didn't receive his red badge, his loss essentially assigned him to a life of the lowest rank, labeling him one of the weakest Shinobi. The red badge would mark him as worthy of respect––once he earned it, it was only ascending upwards in the rise for power.

Sasuke knew he was looked down upon by the citizens of the Leaf. By the majority, clones such as he were not even considered human. Their existence was brought about by nothing more than a team of bored Medical Ninja who had decided to tamper with genes salvaged from the bodies of deceased Shinobi. Although Sasuke did realize that his conquest to be recognized as a human was futile, it was his purpose to carry out missions.

By gaining power, which was his only desire, he was completing his purpose for creation, as well. By hoping to gain the acceptance of the village, he was not harming anyone––his dreams could be cultivated in secret, without disrupting the lives of those around him. And perhaps, through much work and diligence on his part, he could become the very first genetic clone to ever succeed in passing all six ANBU ranks.

The thought sent frozen chills coursing down the back of his sweater, and he stiffened his back against the tremble that threatened to subdue him. He couldn't fight Naruto. He couldn't let Naruto ruin his growth as a Ninja. He _refused _to allow it.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"...And then there was this one other time," Naruto continued animatedly, caught up in the excitement of his own narration. "There were a bunch of A-rank criminals after me! They would've killed me, too, if I hadn't shot back with my new spell techniques. You ever heard of Wind Shuriken Technique? Yep, I mowed 'em down like they were toothpicks. There's been hundreds 'pon hundreds of Shinobi after me, but I guess if I had to pick a least favorite, it'd be the Akatsuki. You've heard of them, ain't you?"

His inquiry went unnoticed by Sasuke, who immediately asked in a lazy drawl, "Why would an elite organization like _Akatsuki _be after you? Adding together all of their apparent motives, they would never come after you just because of your status. None of them care about the Fire Country, so why would they be wasting time and energy by trying to destroy you?"

His voice dropped in a sneer, proving that he in no way believed Naruto had been targeted by Akatsuki.

Indignantly, Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but before any was formed, he clamped his lips together. A wounded look bled through his eyes as he stared down at Sasuke, his jaw tightening as he held in his growls of protest. Sasuke's words, though short and few in number, seemed to Naruto much like the blade of a knife––coldly cutting through the silence and living injuries in the ego of whomever he spoke to.

"Well, _Sunshine,_" Naruto said haughtily, "even a Feudal Lord's son can have big problems, not just the underlings like you. My status isn't everything. But so far, it's like that's all you've noticed. Do you think I'm... I'm obsessed over power or something? I don't care who owns the Land of Fire. There could be a million different reasons for someone wanting to come after me."

"And what would one of those million reasons be?" Sasuke asked, mildly curious now that he had riled Naruto.

He had not even considered that an enemy could have a different motive for taking Naruto's life. Personally, he was not overly concerned about the matter. He had no associations with Naruto other than being his guard, which meant that his only responsibility was to get Naruto to Shinkyoku unharmed. If a small band of Akatsuki members awaited in the shadows of the city for their arrival, it was not Sasuke's issue, and he was not obligated to help.

"Oh, you want a reason, huh?" Naruto laughed, a trace of harshness in the wave of mirth. "Sorry, pal. I don't think I should waste my breath. You don't seem like the type who'd act worried over it, anyway."

"Hmph!" Sasuke's snort of disgust sounded much louder than it had truly been, echoing in the thickening silence. There rose no need to extend the conversation, and the two lapsed into silence once more.

_Does Naruto have something to hide, like I do? _Sasuke wondered, lowering his gaze until he stared down at his feet. He studied the dirt path intently, watching the small clouds of dust balloon upwards every time he took a step. Impulsively, he glanced over his shoulder, realizing how little distance they had really covered. He could still see the very tip of the Feudal Lord's mansion poking high above the trees, almost translucent in the sharp sunlight.

"Are you able to go any quicker than a dead _turtle_?" Sasuke asked viciously. "Go faster, will you?"

Sasuke quickened his own pace, launching himself ahead of Naruto. He knew it wasn't wise to dash the entire way to Shinkyoku, but he didn't care if he did become soaked with sweat or if his legs went numb. Pauses for rest would also be more frequent, but the sooner he managed to deposit Naruto on the city limit line, the happier he would be to return home to the cloning base.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Naruto whined. "We don't have to be there by tonight! Let's take it easy. Enjoy the scenery and stuff. Smell the trees."

"That's why you're such a big fat bag of lazy," Sasuke said, a false note of innocence creeping into his voice. "Already you're trying to take shortcuts. I know getting there by tonight isn't a requirement, but I sure would love to try.

"Really, though, if you aren't going to hurry, I'm leaving you behind," he threatened. "I'm not joking."

"And just now why is it that I didn't think you were?" Naruto asked sarcastically. "Are you wanting to get rid of me that badly? We just met, for goodness' sake. If you don't like me, you can report to the Hokage and have her send out someone else to escort me. I won't mind."

As though Naruto's direct words did not affect him in the least, Sasuke continued walking, his footsteps becoming softer as the pebble-ridden path morphed into a sandy bar. Naruto's brows furrowed in annoyance at being ignored. Why did Sasuke not answer with a biting retort?

"You could _say_ something back to me, Sunshine!" Naruto called to Sasuke's retreating back. A frown darkened his face as he watched Sasuke trot farther ahead.

_What have I done to get this little kid to hate me already?_

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"You would think that––_mmf!_––someone would cut down all these stupid bushes! Man, that hurts!" Naruto bent down, clutching his shin and screwing his face into an overly dramatic expression of agony. Shoving through the dense underbrush had proven itself to be no easy task. From every angle, thorn vines and offending branches poked from the thick shrubbery, snagging in Naruto's and Sasuke's clothing and restricting their movement.

Although Sasuke did not vocalize his afflictions, he was on the verge of collapsing right where he stood. He kept in front of Naruto, pushing away the oppressing plant growths to clear a path for Naruto to follow behind him. They had only been active for a few hours––but the plants of the Shinobi realm forests held bitter venom and sharp spines, adapted to fending off predators.

Sasuke's every movement was uncomfortably painful. Thorns had snagged in practically every thread of his knit sweaters and gloves. Even the simple motion of flexing his fingers brought on sharp stabs of pain, and the moisture he felt making his knuckles sticky was not sweat, but blood. The briers of the bushes were not the short, blunt thorns of a rose as Sasuke would have believed, but rather long, hooked menaces that could be compared to curved fishhooks.

Sasuke would have ignored the ordeal had it not been slowing his pace. Naruto walked slower, as well, and had done little during the past half hour other than complain loudly about having to hike through the woods. His suggestion had been to turn around and bypass the forest entirely, but that idea Sasuke had hastily dismissed.

Walking around the miles of forest would have, in the long run, taken more time than trekking _through _and suffering a bit of irritation. But now, with briers pressing into his rough fingertips and smearing blood over his skin, Sasuke wondered if spending five minutes removing the annoyances from his body would use up any more valuable time than taking the long way around the woods.

"I don't care _what _you have to say about it, Sunshine," Naruto said coldly, "but I'm stopping right here, right now. I'm not going to go fifty miles feeling like a pincushion."

If he expected a reply, he didn't show that he did. From what little he had seen of Sasuke's personality, he was constantly discovering that Sasuke truly was every bit as stoic as his cat mask made him appear.

Sasuke turned his head, releasing a barely audible sigh that sounded hollow beneath his ceramic disguise. His irateness became more evident as his patience decreased, but willingly, he seated himself on the carpet of dried brown leaves. They crackled noisily as Naruto sat down beside him, and he breathed in relief as his weight transferred from his burning feet to the cool ground.

"You sure are stuck-up, you know that, Sunshine?" Naruto's voice twisted as he scowled. "I told you we should've gone around this mess of trees instead of through, but did you listen? No-o-o! I guess since you're a big hotshot beginner ANBU, mere mortals like me can't tell you what to do."

Normally, Naruto would not have dared to speak to someone in such a short-tempered manner. But he didn't feel as if he could be blamed for his behavior. He had already been provoked by Sasuke, who had spoken no more than three full sentences in reply to Naruto's desperate chatter, ignoring him to the fullest extent. In addition to being angry, sweaty, tired, and prickled with thorns, Naruto supposed he could not feel any worse.

"I'm captain on this trip," Sasuke said coolly, lifting his hand to examine the crooked metal plate on the back of his glove. "It doesn't matter if you're a king or a merchant. I don't care how old you are or how rich you are, or how many Ninja ranks your father bought for you. That doesn't match up to experience. I outrank you, clear and plain. So if I say we're going through the forest, that's exactly what we're going to do. The faster we get to Shinkyoku, the faster I can get my Red ANBU badge."

Wrinkling his nose in a peeved manner, Sasuke busied himself by plucking the briers from his gloved fingers, partially unraveling some of the threads of the fabric as he did so. A surge of anger swelled in his belly, and he clenched his teeth, exerting more effort into removing the thorns as well as ignoring Naruto.

"So this is why you took the mission?" Naruto asked dryly. "The Hokage didn't assign it to you. She offered it, didn't she? And you took it. Just so you could get a badge to stick on your vest. I didn't think real Ninja cared about physical things to show their level. I just thought they wanted help people."

At this, Sasuke could not restrain the short bark of laughter that erupted from his throat. "You think I'd just hand over a big chunk of training time to help you? That might be how it is in your world, but not mine. See, unlike you, a lot of folks have to train. They have to work and cry and bleed and sweat to become more powerful. They aren't just born into authority like you were. They don't have riches and strength given to them on a platter, and they don't just inherit it.

"Normal people like myself do something different. It's called work. And if you can't understand how much I'm giving up to do this mission, it proves that my first impression of you was wrong. You're a bigger moron than I thought."

His cheeks burned unpleasantly, and he knew they were flushing. His anger became blatant, his movements erratic and forced. He realized that, if Naruto chose to do so, he could throttle him into unconsciousness. Sasuke assured himself that, no matter how muscular or tall Naruto was, he could not win over Sasuke's own intelligence and agility. Sasuke had undergone training that Naruto never had––Naruto could never outdo him in combat.

"This proves it," Naruto muttered. "You don't do nothin' but live for power, do you?"

Viciously, he pinched a thorn between his fingertips, yanking it out so quickly that the burning sensation attacked him seconds later. A minute bead of dark blood oozed from the pad of his finger, growing in size until Naruto slipped his finger into his mouth, sucking on it dejectedly. Many options for insults were building in his mind, but with his lips around his knuckle, he could not speak. He settled for an icy glare, gray clouds overtaking his silvery eyes. Sasuke stared down at his hands, not sparing Naruto even a mere nervous glance.

_For a minute there, I though this guy could be a good traveling companion, _Sasuke thought. _But that was way before I found how whiny and childish he is. _

Sasuke's forehead creased, his ugly expression intensifying. For once, he was disappointed that ANBU were not allowed to remove their masks before anyone but the Hokage––he would have enjoyed showing his contempt to Naruto in its purest form. He could feel his eyes narrowing, his mouth turning downward in a silent snarl. It was a moment of justice that the world unfortunately missed, every negative emotion making its short-lived mark on his face.

"I don't just 'live for power', you dope." Sasuke's tongue bounced the word off easily, as if he were entirely too accustomed to offending strangers. He wasn't sure why he so deeply wished to win the argument––winning would not benefit him, and fighting only wasted precious seconds that could not be regained. The time used to trade insults could have been passed by walking, shortening the distance between themselves and Shinkyoku. Why then, did he still sit with his legs crossed on the wet ground with cold seeping through his pants to his skin?

Forcefully, Sasuke kicked his legs from their crossed position, standing up and hurriedly patting his gloved palms against his flat hips. He was not enthused about spending any extra moments, no matter how short, with Naruto––set only on arriving at Shinkyoku, Sasuke could practically taste the victorious sensation of being rid of Naruto at last. This burden was slowly becoming more undesirable. Sasuke could see how different Naruto's attitude seemed from the childlike demeanor he had displayed upon their meeting. In reality, could this annoying, noisy, hyperactive Naruto Uzumaki truly have any innocence or prudence at all?

"Come on, dope, we aren't getting anywhere by sitting around, calling each other names." Sasuke slung his arms together against his chest with a definite air of authority, scarcely realizing that he had contradicted himself. 'Not getting anywhere'––that remained yet to be seen. Perhaps the humidity, fatigue, and pain drew out the most crude traits in both of them. Stirring up strife would not enable them to forge a friendship. The weeks would pass much faster with laughter and fond cuffs than temperamental growls and harsh blows.

Sasuke felt his stomach grow tight, twisting inside him as if to punish him for his cruel behavior. He weakly pressed the heel of his hand against his flat middle, coaxing his stomach to cease in its painful wrenching. His eyes glimmered with kindled anger, his pupils dilating and swallowing the charcoal gray. The blackness combined into a round pool of indignation, clearly visible in the circular eye-holes cut into his mask.

"Uh-huh," Naruto drawled, "finally up to acting like a kid, eh? Trying to act pitiful?"

In truth, Sasuke seemed anything but pitiful. Though his hand still squeezed his stomach and the fierce shimmering of his eyes could have been mistaken for tears rather than rage, Sasuke appeared no more like a child than he ever had. But it could not be misinterpreted that he was in no mood to be tampered with, especially emotionally.

Never was it wise for anyone to prod at Sasuke's calloused emotions. His trust had been abused only once before, but that one occasion had been severe enough to show him that it was not intelligent to speak of his personal thoughts to a mere anyone. Once a secret brushed past his lips, it was the at the will of the listener to either spread the quiet words or keep them to himself. The single time Sasuke had been foolish enough to tell his secrets, his trust had been betrayed, leaving a large wound somewhere about his heart that had never truly healed to perfection. The pain had evaporated, but the scars remained, frightening any potential companions from advancing for fear they would make him shatter.

The matter of Sasuke's lack of faith also contributed to the reason why he did not cuddle up to the aspect of gaining a friend. Friends, he supposed, shared secrets and aspirations with one another. He could not picture himself leaning close to Naruto to whisper against his ear some of his most confidential secrets.

_There's no way, _Sasuke decided positively. _There is no way I'm getting close to the guy. I'm going to stay away from him, and I hope he'll keep away from me. I can't just cozy up to him––if I spent awhile with him, and had long conversations with him, I'd get comfortable. And I don't like thinking it, but when I'm comfortable, I get clumsy. I'd let my words slip if I got clumsy._

_And if that happened, he could find out that I'm a clone. I can't let all my secrets be found out, especially by someone like him. I have to go without telling him anything. The less I talk to him, the better for me. Of course he'll think I'm stuck-up and too good to associate with him, but he'll just have to think that. I'd rather have him believe I'm conceited than have him be afraid of me because I'm a clone._

* * *

**0000**

* * *

The forest terrain had, after some time, given way to a flat, grassy plain. Wind rippled over the tall yellow grass, creating the illusion of crinkled amber ocean tides. Trees lined the uneven edge of the field sparsely, but many tall pines poked haplessly from the purple mountains that glowed violet in the distance. Sasuke squinted forward, grateful for the smooth ground. It seemed that traveling would be easier through this portion of the country, but he dared not become too optimistic.

Most likely, enemies would be lurking in the plain, thirsting for the sensation of inflicting brute pain. They would, of course, choose the enormous field for their scouting territory. There was little cover or places to hide, making them prime targets for attack. Sasuke felt certain of it; a presence lingered in the air, and he inhaled tentatively. The scent of bitterness filled his head, and he coughed against the curve of his fist, startling Naruto.

"There's definitely someone here," Sasuke announced authoritatively.

"I know." Naruto nodded sedately, surveying the new surroundings with interest and barely noticing when Sasuke started.

"How did you know?"

Grinning, almost as if he had expected that reaction, Naruto tapped his forefinger against the slope of his freckled nose. "I can smell 'em. I smelled 'em before we even got here. Smells a lot like sweat. And Kunai polish, and the dark."

"Oh." Crestfallen that Naruto had discovered the prospect of an enemy first, Sasuke trudged onward, moping. He refused to ask why Naruto's sense of smell was so abnormally developed––after their skirmish in the forest, the situation had only sank further into hopelessness.

Sasuke would admit they had gone beyond the point of ever becoming friends. Naruto had the idea firmly set in his mind that Sasuke was only the average teenage Shinobi who lived for no purpose other than to acquire ANBU patches.

Sasuke, on the other side of the ordeal, decided that Naruto was a spoiled, selfish brat who believed he would inherit the Land of Fire simply because his father owned it.

_You had better be happy your father is big somebody, _Sasuke remarked silently, as if he were speaking to Naruto. _Because you sure aren't anyone._

His eyes widened, and he immediately regretted the thought. Even when referring to Naruto, it bothered him to have called someone a "nobody"––he knew what it was like to truly be a nobody. Naruto expressed his individuality quite nicely. He was unique in all his habits. If Naruto happened to call Sasuke a "nobody", though, he would be telling the perfect truth, because Sasuke had experienced the feeling of being nobody. He was the basic contrast of Naruto, both inside and out.

Even when angry, Naruto still managed to seem happy, or at least content. Perhaps the joy of living made his eyes twinkle mischievously. Even as he sluggishly dragged himself along behind Sasuke, something about the way he walked plainly stated that he was not nearly so miserable as he pretended to be. Though Sasuke didn't know Naruto very well, he could decipher the light in Naruto's eyes––Naruto was happy, simply because he could be.

Sasuke could not help but feel jealous. Naruto was the most unique person he had ever met. It was as if Naruto's joy flowed into his hair, making the strands glow a translucent yellow that could be compared to lemonade in a glass jar held up to the sun. Despite the sour attitude Naruto displayed, even Sasuke could see that he was not used to portraying discontent.

_How can you be so... different? _Sasuke thought, almost struggling to think of the right word to describe Naruto. _It's like you know you're taunting me. There's no one in the world quite like you, but there's hundreds of people, just in the Leaf village, that are _exactly _like me._

The neutral, uncaring expression of Sasuke's mask matched his true expression with startling accuracy.

"Sasuke?" Naruto spoke suddenly, and the familiar queasiness of being depended on gyrated in Sasuke's stomach. Irately, he craned his neck to look at Naruto, who had paused with his head upturned.

"What is it this time?" Sasuke asked flatly, thoroughly vexed by Naruto's near-constant interruptions.

"Shh." Naruto pushed his finger against his lips, loudly hushing Sasuke. "Hear that?"

Feeling that Naruto was being melodramatic, Sasuke rolled his eyes in disgust and bristled. Discreetly, he tipped his head to the side, frowning as he concentrated on absorbing the essence of the environment.

Without only an unusual rustling of the thin trees as warning, a violent tremor washed over the field, the ground quaking gently beneath their feet. The long grasses swayed with the motion, and the unexpected rocking motion of the earth shifting beneath him made Sasuke tighten his throat against the nausea that swelled in his belly. Dizzily, he took a stance, bending his knees as he deftly jerked a Kunai knife from his sagging pocket. He held it at an angle, its razor-like blade reflecting the sunlight in white shafts. His keen eyes swept over the expanse of land, and he held his breath, prepared to defend Naruto if the need arose.

"W––what are you _doing, _Sasuke?" Naruto squawked, the heavy stillness shattering as his gravelly voice echoed. His surprise at seeing Sasuke wield a knife was not unfounded. A shiver of fright passed down his backbone as he pictured his own tortuous death. He had not realized that he had provoked Sasuke to the point of the boy drawing a weapon against him.

"Calm down, would you?" Frantically, Naruto lunged for Sasuke, attempting to snatch the knife from him; easily, Sasuke sidestepped, his eyes focused as he listened.

"It's just an earthquake, Sasuke! It's not my fault. Don't kill me for it, okay?" Instead of trusting Sasuke's trained judgment, Naruto ignored the treacherous look Sasuke sent him, noisily demanding him to return the Kunai to his pocket.

"Shut up and stay still!" Sasuke hissed the words from between clenched teeth, gripping his knife and raising it until it slanted mere inches from his mask's muzzle. "Don't say another word."

Panic bubbled in Sasuke's throat as a bright flash of pink flitted past in his peripheral vision, the mass forming the shape of a figure. The chakra print of the being held a frightening aura, and the longer Sasuke stared at it, the colder the chill that seized him became. _Why doesn't Naruto notice someone's here? _Sasuke thought wildly. _He said just a minute ago that he could "smell" an enemy. Why doesn't he see it?_

"Are you blind?" Angrily, Sasuke backed up, taking short, stiff steps. He retreated slowly until his back bumped lightly against Naruto's abdomen, the contact startling both of them.

"Stay behind me," Sasuke demanded. He spread his legs further, squatting closer to the ground; the curve of his back rubbed down Naruto's belly, but he scarcely paid attention to the discomfort. He tightened each of his muscles, ready to spring into the air at any sign of attack. He narrowed his eyes against the glare of the sun, feeling the icy glow of the pink chakra. The foe had cleverly concealed himself, his format one of invisibility. His body remained unseen, only his aura visible.

Confusion permeated Sasuke's mind in a disabling haze. Ninja were capable of erasing their presence entirely––chakra and all. Sasuke immediately understood why this particular Shinobi had allowed himself to be spotted––he was openly taunting them.

Sasuke swallowed back his unease. Ninja such as this enemy always moved with a subtle fluidity that young Shinobi always lacked. It was the grace of experience; Sasuke had yet to learn this perfection of movement.

"Whatever you do, don't fight," Sasuke said, muttering the words through the side of his mouth. His voice sounded shallow and hoarse, and could have been mistaken as a sign of nervousness. But Sasuke kept his hands steady, eager to lob his Kunai at the enemy the first chance he could.

"_Fight?_" Naruto repeated incredulously. "Come _on_! Don't tell me we're going to fight, now! Why are you being so flighty all of a sudd––"

The loud crack of steel against flesh interrupted Naruto. Sasuke did not even try withholding a grunt as he slammed against Naruto, the knife flying from his hand as his rough fingers unfurled. The knife skittered across the packed sandy ground, far out of Sasuke's reach, to lie forgotten.

Sasuke recovered from his embarrassing position quickly, disentangling himself from Naruto and giving no heed to the man's protests.

"Sasuke, what happened?" Naruto blabbered frantically. "Are you all right?"

"Get down!" Sasuke commanded. Instantly, Naruto crouched, jerking his hands up to shield his face in a familiar martial arts position.

_Who hit Sasuke? _Anxiously, Naruto surveyed the field, the scent of anger filling his nose. The odor was strong––someone had been darting around them. _There's someone here without a doubt. How am I supposed to fight someone invisible? What kind'a stupid ability is that, anyway?_

"No, don't even _think _about butting in!" Sasuke gloved fingers were only dark blurs as he wound the seals to a secret arts technique. His jaw clenched in an effort to disregard the pain that spiraled through his skull, its source the bruise on his cheek. The foe had dealt him a sharp blow. _From the angle, probably a left-handed hit. Definitely with something solid and hollow. The guy didn't aim for any vital __points, either. He purposely gave me a minor wound, most likely just to flaunt the fact that he's got the upper hand in this. Not for long, though. _

"_Chidori _Stream_: _One Thousand Birds Current!" Before either Naruto or the opposing Ninja had the time to react or flee, a burst of brightness flashed, radiating from Sasuke's hand. He gently cupped in his palm a fragile sphere of energy that crackled and snapped in time to his heartbeat. The air smelled thickly of burnt cinders as he slashed his arm through the space between himself and Naruto, a small globe of electricity hovering above his palm. Ragged vines of what seemed to be lightning swirled around his body, hurtling from his spread hand as he lifted his arm into the air and parted his fingers as if he were releasing a bird into the sky.

"_Chidori_!" a cheerful voice exclaimed. "Now, where in the world would a little thing like you learn a powerful spell like that?"

Naruto glanced up at the merry sound, the look of shock still present on his ashen face. Sasuke immediately paused in his vicious attack, his eyes widening as he jerked his head to the side, staring over his shoulder.

He had been tricked. Fooled into wasting energy on a technique that a required vast amount of strength. He felt his throat constrict, sweat prickling his skin. He felt too heavy to move––he remained motionless, his arm outstretched, mere feet away from Naruto.

His enemy was not male.

Dark green eyes glistened with interest, deeply set into the woman's thin, pixie-like face. Her glossy pink lips parted in a haughty smirk, much like the one Sasuke himself always wore, and a perfectly groomed sheet of rosy hair fell down her back to curtain her cheeks and flow over her shoulders in a shining veil. As she paced closer, her burgundy cloak ruffled noisily around her knees, the garment beneath it short and tight and clinging to every slant of her body. In one hand, she grasped a steel bar that stood nearly as high as she––Sasuke vaguely recognized it as the culprit that had bestowed upon his cheek the bloody bruise.

But more than how the woman's plump breasts strained against the front of her bodysuit, Sasuke noticed the way in which she stood. There was no trace of fear in her countenance at all. She lazily balled her free hand into a fist, pressing it against her slim hip in a gesture of wonder. A flash of curiosity slit though her small pupils as she tilted her chin, assuring herself of her undeniable authority.

"I never would have realized that I was sent after two little boys," she giggled, her bright gaze sweeping over both Sasuke and Naruto. "Why, I think I've been insulted yet again! Let me see now––don't tell me! Let me guess––you're an ANBU... and you..." She tugged on her earlobe pensively, her manicured nails sparkling with flecks of glitter as she watched Naruto. She abruptly gasped, and Sasuke detected the sarcasm in her tone.

"Do you happen to be the Feudal Lord's son?" she asked, shifting the metal pole to the crook of her arm to clap her hands gleefully. "Minato Namikaze's boy? You must be Naruto Uzumaki, then, the heir to the Land of Fire. I can already see that I'm going to have to be on guard with you."

She cocked her head, her hair shimmering in the light as she moved. "And probably this cute little ANBU fellow could be pretty good with Ninja Arts, too. It doesn't really matter, though," she said with a shrug. "All I had to do was come to see what type of strength you possess. So we've got an ANBU who probably hasn't reached any color ranks yet, and a heir who might be a Chunin, tops. Very, very nice!"

As if she had not clubbed Sasuke just moments earlier, the woman pressed her fingertips to her mouth to bar the escape of a tittering, gentle laugh.

"I like you two," she said happily. "But don't expect me again. I won't be able to come back for you until the order is given. But in the meantime, someone else will be back to check up on you, okay? Not for you, though, little ANBU," she added apologetically. "There's someone very interested in your friend. But don't worry. We'll be back soon. Bye-bye!"

She had begun speaking in a rush, and she quickly lifted her hands in the Half-Tiger seal, as if she were fearful of losing time. Clouds of chakra spiraled around her, and her image flickered and buzzed before she vanished, leaving Naruto and Sasuke to gape.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

**Author's Note: **Because I seem to be cruel, I will only post one chapter every few weeks, even though I already have six chapters written. This way I can cover for myself when I get lazy and don't write. I also want to write a bonus chapter with some Hebi X Taka fluff.


	3. Second Opinion? No New Observations!

**MASK**

**Author's Note: **As mentioned, these chapters basically follow the same story line as before, but they have been entirely reworked.

* * *

**0000**

**Chapter Three: _Second Opinion? No New Observations!_**

**0000**

"I can't believe it," Naruto muttered beneath his breath. Then, louder, "I cannot _believe _that you just let her get away!"

Sasuke made no effort to reply to the biting accusation, the pounding in his head too strong to ignore without a struggle. Dizziness overwhelmed him, grayness beginning to eat at the edges of his vision. Weakly, he trudged to a patch of grass that poked up from the sand, sinking into it and helplessly pressing his fingertips to the brow of his mask. As if the motion would soothe the throbbing pain of the bruise on his cheek, he began to stroke his thumb over his forehead. He exhaled shakily, a sense of bitterness welling inside him as be wrestled against his anger toward Naruto.

_If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten hit, _Sasuke thought furiously, pulling his legs up to his chest. _It's embarrassing, being hurt when I have to protect you. I could lose my ANBU mask. I could be marked down as a regular old Jonin._

It thoroughly vexed Sasuke to be struck down amidst battle. Naruto's first impression of his skills were, inevitably, nothing to be considered worthy of bragging. In the worst case, Naruto would report Sasuke's carelessness to an authority––possibly even the Hokage herself––and following that came the chance of demotion. Sasuke felt his headache worsen at the thought of hours of grueling training being for naught.

"You got hit... didn't you, Sunshine?" Naruto asked unnecessarily, crushing Sasuke's hopes of his not noticing the injury. There hid a certain triumph in Naruto's tone; certainly he felt some measure of sympathy toward Sasuke, but there lingered in his mind a sort of satisfaction.

_At last, the great and mighty Sasuke gets taken down a peg, _Naruto thought. _I know getting hit must've hurt him something awful, but what am I s'posed to do about it? Maybe now he'll take a step off his throne and stop pretending like he knows it all._

A sudden stab of guilt found Naruto's heart, and remorsefully, he added, "But you're okay. Right?"

He glanced at Sasuke's large hand, which pressed tightly against his forehead. His black glove contrasted sharply with the whiteness of his disguise, drawing Naruto's attention to the dent that slightly hollowed the cheek of the mask. He realized how powerfully Sasuke must have been hit to create the miniature crater in the strong ceramic.

"Here's some advice, Naruto," Sasuke said, clutching his forehead. "Why don't you shut that mouth of yours to keep it from flapping nonstop?"

Sasuke refused to let his gaze rest on any evidence of Naruto's being. He closed his eyes wearily, feeling the odd sensation of tears prickle against his lashes. Frustrated, he squeezed his fist, beating it against his knee in self-admonishment.

In one day––no, after just a mere few hours––he had already exposed his charge to an enemy. As meager as that mistake may have appeared to be, in the realm of Ninja, that one accident could be fatal.

"Look, _Sasuke_," Naruto said sharply, using Sasuke's name almost as an insult. "I'm doing my best to be civil to you. I know you're just a kid, so I'm trying to not be so harsh on you. But this? You're my guard. I was told that you were one of the best ANBU the Leaf had to offer! But if you're so weak that you can't defend yourself––and me––against a pretty girl, why did you even bother taking this mission? Or do you just hate me so much that you'll do anything to see me drop dead?"

Abruptly, Sasuke rocked himself forward, balancing on the balls of his feet. He swayed for a moment, swallowing his nausea. Determinedly, he pushed himself up, standing and stalking to the bar of sand on which his Kunai knife had fallen. He knelt, snatching it by the hilt and using the hem of his vest to wipe away the crusty grains of sand.

"Sasuke?"

Pretending to have not heard Naruto, Sasuke turned on his heel, sliding the knife into the sleeve of his sweater. His footsteps crushed the soft blades of grass beneath the soles of his boots as he stamped away from Naruto. He didn't want to be seen with moisture clouding his eyes––if anything, what he did want was to be rid of the nuisance who endangered his progress as a Ninja.

Why had he been the one? Why had it been destined for him to be saddled with the responsibility of a pampered dunce?

* * *

**0000**

* * *

Tsunade inhaled deeply, feeling the quaking tension in her chest ebb away. She clasped her smooth hands, resting her wide forehead against her knuckles as she continued to breathe slowly in a weak-willed attempt at quelling her rage.

Nervously, Taka glanced away, even his strong sense of authority being eaten away by Tsunade's growing anger. Not even the most heartless of Shinobi were capable of withstanding her wrath. Taka was slowly succumbing to panic, an emotion he seldom gave himself up to.

"I told you. I told you to keep him under constant surveillance," Tsunade muttered against her fists, forcing the words past her clenched teeth. "Taka, you know perfectly well that, as unstable as Sasuke is, we absolutely cannot have him wandering out of our sight, even if he is on a mission!"

Her voice rose in a raspy roar that was not meant for the average woman, and she slammed her palm against the desktop, sending a small cup of rice wine clattering over the edge. It toppled, dropping to the floor and splattering the clear drink over the clean oak boards. If Tsunade noticed the loss of her beloved alcoholic beverage, she did not care. A maelstrom of fiery fury swirled through her amber eyes as she pressed her hands heavily against the surface of her desk.

"I––if I might object to that, Milady," Taka stammered, pinpricks of perspiration moistening his cheeks and forehead. He desperately wished the Hokage would allow him to wear his mask before her, just so he could put it on to hide his anxiety. "You never specifically gave my squad the order to follow Seven-Two-Three out. You only said for us to––"

"Don't contradict me!" Tsunade bellowed, a flush smearing her face as she jabbed a slender finger toward Taka, her red nail nearly poking his nose. She stood up from her chair with such force that her tails of straw-like hair whipped over her shoulder and her cleavage bounced up to nearly meet her collarbone. Her short brows lowered in a scowl of disapproval, frightening Taka.

"The point is," Tsunade said brashly, "we now have our potential Jinchūriki out there with the true Jinchūriki. All of us know that Sasuke has been raised since creation to be the Two-Tailed Cat's next container. If anything happens to Sasuke while he is on this mission, the Leaf will have to raise a whole new colony of clones, just for the purpose of keeping the Two-Tails captive!"

Taka frowned, his lips thinning in a frown as he shifted his weight uncomfortably from side to side. What Tsunade had stated was undeniably true. Two generations of clones had lived and passed, fading without being noticed by the average Leaf citizens. The single boy with the greatest ability had been combed from the weaker, halfhearted clones, chosen to have the Two-Tailed Cat sealed within him for the remainder of his short lifetime.

The entire cloning process was tedious and fragile. It was no easy task to meddle with the intricacy of genes, thus, new sets of clones came with long intervals in between. No official tests of strength were given to the chosen Two-Tails vessel––the specified clone was just carefully observed by his trainers and masters, and his fate was determined by the authorities.

It had been difficult to decide which of the many most suitable clones would adapt the easiest to the entrance of the demon cat into his body. Sasuke had been included the class of most likely to survive the Two-Tails. He was often unsure of himself, yet stubborn and wielded a horrendous temper. Those traits, undesirable in any other situation, were vital to Jinchūriki.

"Please forgive me, Milady," Taka said, stiffly lowering himself on one knee in a meek bow. "I was wrong to accuse you. I will set out with Hebi right away. Seven-Two-Three will not be left unsupervised, I assure you."

Briskly, keeping his gaze averted from Tsunade's livid glare, Taka hastened to leave the office.

Tsunade's glossy red lips twisted in the most vehement of snarls as she glowered at Taka's retreating back, searing imaginary holes between his shoulder blades.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

Never to anyone would Naruto admit that he felt afraid.

He would also never verbally acknowledge to anyone that he was not the most talented at sensing the sources of foreign chakra. Of course he claimed above average abilities, but he had been warned that, no matter how keen his eyes or sensitive his nose, sensing anything other than the presence of chakra would prove to be a difficulty for him.

But a nagging sort of obnoxious pain drilled through his head as the unusual sensation of being surrounded overwhelmed him. It was life energy, flowing all through his surroundings––and not just the subtle life of the trees or birds. This was an energy he could barely see even the essence of. After squeezing his eyes shut, all he could see was a soft smear of color.

_Blue, _he realized, opening his eyes in surprise. _It's blue chakra. _

He wondered if Sasuke had managed to catch a glimpse or the scent of the air-diluted substance. Sasuke had not ventured to speak a word since this morning––Naruto supposed that being struck down by a woman had humiliated him to the point of being moody and withdrawn.

"Hey, Sunshine," Naruto said, somewhat rudely. "Are you paying any attention at all?"

Sasuke snorted in contempt, shaking his head to toss back his unruly forelock in a gesture of haughty indignation.

"Yes, Naruto," he said testily, "I have indeed been being paying attention. It's some kind of chakra. It seems a bit familiar, but it's much too weak for me to actually get a decent image of the person himself. And what's more, it doesn't seem to be just any life energy imprint. I haven't seen a chakra body anywhere––it's just a blue haze."

"So what do you think that means?"

"It means that we're going to stick to this woodsy area," Sasuke said, swatting away a dew speckled vine that dangled in front of him. "We're not stopping for a rest just yet. We're going to keep heading northwest, through the deepest brush. This way, whatever that chakra thing is will have a tough time following us."

"So you're sure it's an enemy and not an ally?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"It's not an ally," Sasuke said, with a decided nod. _There's no way the Hokage sent out any of my squad after me. She promised she wouldn't. And the Feudal Lord seemed pretty confident. I doubt he'd send out anyone. _"It's definitely an enemy. No one else knows we're here."

"But, I mean... an enemy. Isn't that kind of serious? You didn't exactly put up much of a fight against that Ninja girl who showed up."

"I don't like hitting girls like her," Sasuke retorted, keeping his voice smooth.

"You don't, do y––oh!" Naruto grinned, his cheeks curving and his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I get it. Sasuke liked the pretty lady, eh?"

"I did _not_. She just didn't seem like she was out to eradicate us. I don't kill without the need."

"Uh-huh. And that 'need' is Ninja love!" Naruto hooted, poking his elbow against Sasuke's ribs teasingly. "Yep, little Sasuke likes the pretty girl. And who's to blame you? She did look great. I wouldn't mind getting cozy with her, you know what I mean?"

"I don't like her!" Sasuke protested, despite knowing that his tone made him sound childish. He might as well have been throwing a tantrum, flailing and kicking. "I told you. I just don't want to hurt a girl that didn't try killing us."

"She did say she was going to come back, though. Don't you hope it's nice and dark when she does?" Naruto snickered, lightly cuffing Sasuke's shoulder. Sasuke's flush faded somewhat, and he quickly shook his shoulder, dislodging Naruto's hand.

"Stop being so disgusting," Sasuke said, grimacing. "Honestly. You act like a middle school kid who just found out how babies are made."

"Don't be fussing about me." Naruto hummed softly, lifting his arms to lace his fingers together behind his head. "You're the one that was staring like that at her huge––"

"I said for you to shut up!" Sasuke roared, swinging around to face Naruto with his hand raised threateningly. Naruto scarcely flinched at the pretense of attack, that same knowing smile on his mouth.

Embarrassed by his lack of influence, Sasuke jerked back around, shoving his fists deep into the pockets of his trousers. He winced as he nudged the tip of his tongue against the inside of his cheek, almost to punish himself. The entire side of his face ached whenever he spoke, and he almost feared removing his mask to examine the bruise.

Naruto grit his teeth against a growl of exasperation at Sasuke's sullen silence. Naruto's feet burned from exertion, and his thighs tightened painfully as he walked. He did not consider himself to be lazy nor weak, but he had never walked at a constant pace for hours on end. It would have been much more tolerable if he could share moments like those earlier with Sasuke all the time––entertaining conversations would have greatly distracted him from his ailments.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"There they are," a hushed voice purred in a tense whisper. "The son of the legendary Feudal Lord, and the ANBU who is to become the newest Jinchūriki. It's rather tempting."

"I'll say," Sakura said energetically. She thoughtfully plucked at a strand of her pink hair, squinting upwards into the sky. "You know... if Hinata calculated everything right, it's been about four hours since I confronted the boys. But they're barely going at a rate of three miles an hour. They're only about ten or twelve miles from Gray Plain. They're really slowing up. If they keep dragging like that, it'll only be a matter of hours before they bed down for the evening."

Kakuzu nodded sedately. "And you say Hinata's Secret Arts technique can put anyone to sleep?"

Sakura shrugged respectfully. "From what I know, sir, it's more like drugging them into being drowsy. The ANBU will probably try to stay awake so he can guard the Uzumaki, so she's using that technique to dull his senses."

"We'll wait until the two of them are asleep before we ambush," Kakuzu decided. "I can still sense the Jinchūriki's chakra––it's fading, though. Both of them must be getting tired. I doubt they could keep walking for much longer."

His low words were nearly smothered beneath the heavy wool of his gray mask. As he leaned over the edge of the bluff, an intelligent glint shimmered through his bloodshot green eyes.

Sakura smiled in a perky, greedy sort of agreement. "I have doppelgangers positioned around the edge of the forest, and Hinata has practically a hundred of her doppelgangers all around the boys for a three mile radius. The poor things think they're running away from us, but they don't understand that the farther they go, the worse it will get. They'll probably run until they drop."

Hinata tilted her head, squinting her pearl-like eyes to peer over the bushy treetops. With the bare eye, it was impossible to see the two boys traveling along the dense, cloaked floor of the forest. But along with the Bloodline Limit ability to "see" chakra forms came the advantage of being capable to observe anyone under nearly any circumstance.

"S––Sakura?" Hinata cautiously pinched Sakura's sleeve between her fingertips, tugging on it to direct Sakura's attention to the ground far below them. Amidst the calm, fiery black spikes of chakra would flare up chaotically in sharp, uneven tongues. Sakura stared dumbly, as if unable to comprehend that such an enormous amount of concentrated chakra could be emitted from one person.

"That's really unusual," she commented, eyes aglow with fascination. "I've never seen chakra like that before."

"It is... as black as tar," Hinata said softly. "My father told me... that dark chakra is a sign... of the presence of evil in the heart."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Sakura mused. "That _is _going to be the Jinchūriki vessel, after all. They wouldn't have chosen him if he had a low chakra capacity level, or if he was a pushover."

"Sakura, will you be quiet?" Kakuzu asked curtly, his aggravation mounting in intensity. "We aren't here to take the ANBU. We're after the Uzumaki. We have to stop him before he crosses the boundary line into the next country."

Mildly frightened, both women replied simultaneously: "You're right, Lord Kakuzu." Lapsing into a period of silence, they resumed their careful watch.

* * *

**Author's Note: **At first, I thought I'd save the chapters to post weekly. I decided not to. I'll just post them all in one go. I haven't be feeling up to writing much lately.


	4. Ambushed

**MASK**

* * *

**0000**

**Chapter Four: _Ambushed_**

**0000**

_I don't know what's happening, _Sasuke mouthed, not willing that Naruto should hear him admitting that he was without explanation for their predicament.

They had walked––walked until every muscle in their bodies stung fiercely. Yet somehow, despite all the difficult maneuvers they had taken in order to confuse the enemy's sense of direction, there had been a constant aroma of flowery blue chakra staining the atmosphere. Sasuke was at a loss for plans to further evade the opponent.

But what prodded at his conscience most was the fact that Naruto had fallen into a period of utter silence. The only sound coming from the blond was the shallow huffs of his heavy breathing. He was obviously weary, and his strength continued to diminish rapidly, not unlike his enthusiasm.

"Sasuke," said Naruto, his throat tightening dangerously with despair. Every step he took frightened him, and he continuously faltered. Each movement threatened to send him collapsing in a heap. "Sasuke, if we don't sit down soon, I'm gonna fall."

_He must be feeling terrible, _Sasuke noted wryly. _He didn't call me "Sunshine."_

"I know you're tired," Sasuke murmured, hoping the dry waver in his voice would not be mistaken for a ripple of sympathy. "But the second we stop, we'll be a prime target. When we quit moving, whoever is following us will take that chance to attack. And with the way we're going right now, I doubt we could do much to fight back."

Sasuke felt that the words came out in a tangle. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, leathery and dry and gritty––thirst made his head ache. He had neglected to refill his canteen of water, believing they would have already found a stream or river. Hunger tightened his stomach, as well, reminding him that he had not eaten since the early morning. Even then he had only nibbled at the apple Taka had left for him on his bureau.

Somewhat pityingly, Sasuke stole a backwards glance over his shoulder at Naruto. The heavy pants that fell in thick wrinkles down Naruto's sturdy legs could not have been comfortable in the heat, and clumsy oversized boots reached to his knees, the long laces drooping. He had unzipped his cotton track jacket, the fabric of which had already been stained with sweat. His fishnet undershirt had not fared well, either; it sagged, hanging loosely from his frame, limp with perspiration.

"I'm stopping," Sasuke said flatly, looking away. "I guess we can sit down... just for a minute. I have to fix my belt, anyway."

Without bothering to find a suitable place to seat himself, Sasuke brutally kicked away the blanket of crisp fallen leaves and pine needles. He plopped heavily to the ground, unable to bite back the sigh that brushed past his lips as his weight was removed from his legs.

With no measure of reluctance, Naruto followed Sasuke's action, groaning comfortably and nestling down into the pillow of leaves in an undignified manner. The relief of being allowed a rest overwhelmed him, and he closed his teeth into his tongue to hold back a hearty laugh of thanks.

"Man, does this feel great or what?" Contentedly, Naruto let his head fall back on the mangled mass of soft vines. The foliage felt much like a cushion, and although Naruto would have preferred his own bed at home, he dared not complain. Being denied his normal privileges only caused him to appreciate them more.

"I don't think I've ever been more glad to plant my backside on the ground," he admitted, closing his eyes and grinning gratefully.

Sasuke could not disagree with Naruto, but he said nothing as he slowly extended his long legs before him. He could feel his tendons pulling as he stretched, but it was more of a pleasant tug than an agonizing one.

As Sasuke began to rub his fingertips gently into the aching muscles of his shin, a low gurgling noise startled him. He glanced up from his massaging to stare quizzically at Naruto, and although he did not realize how odd he looked, Naruto immediately tossed his back with a shout of laughter.

"Sorry," Naruto apologized afterward, his sheepish smile slurring his voice. "That was just my stomach. Not eating for several hours kinda takes a toll on you."

"I take it you're hungry?" Sasuke asked tentatively. Not waiting for confirmation, he sighed impatiently, jerking open the knapsack that hung from his wide belt. His practiced fingers dipped into its depths, and he rummaged about briefly before extracting a small package of plain crackers.

"Here," he said, tossing the tiny package to Naruto, who nearly toppled over in his attempt to grab it. "They aren't much, but they're what Taka––I mean... someone I know gave them to me. He said they don't taste too great, but they really fill you up. They're made for going on long-term missions when you have little access to food."

"Huh. That's pretty interesting," Naruto remarked, cautiously peeling away the plastic cling wrap. "They look like regular old saltine crackers to me."

He pinched one thin biscuit between his thumb and forefinger, gingerly bringing it to his mouth. He doubtfully bit into the scalloped edge, and rolled the crumbs over his tongue pensively before announcing:

"They're terrible." His expression signified that he had briefly considering spitting the portion of cracker out onto the ground. "This fellow who gave 'em to you must've had a big death wish on you."

Sasuke shrugged, not displaying any concern. He lifted his leg, busying himself by rolling up the loose fabric of his oversized denim breeches.

"It's food," he reasoned calmly. "If you don't want them, don't eat them. Suffer the loss. I won't cry about you going hungry."

Realizing that Sasuke would not press him into eating, Naruto quickly pushed the remaining half of the cracker into his mouth, chewing it vigorously. He plucked another cracker from the package he cupped in his palm, but before he too shoved that one between his lips, he paused, watching Sasuke.

"Sas'?" Uncomfortably, Naruto dropped his gaze to the ground, guilt festering in his mind.

"Don't call me that," said Sasuke irately, oblivious to Naruto's unease. He did not even try to answer Naruto further, intent on ignoring him until his name was spoken properly without any offensive butchering.

"Sasuke?" Naruto attempted again, sighing in relent.

"What?"

"Aren't you going to eat anything?"

Sasuke coolly continued rolling the legs of his trousers up to bunch them around his knees. Though his stomach seemed to suck on its own walls with hunger, he had learned, long ago, that the well-being of a guard's charge was to be put before the needs of the guard himself. Sasuke's supply of food was meager, but most of it rightfully belonged to Naruto.

"I'm fine," Sasuke said offhandedly. "I can go for days without full meals. I'm sure I don't have as much room to fill as you do."

Ignoring the snide comment, Naruto lingered in place for a moment before dropping the crackers to his lap. He pressed his hands to the ground, scooting himself closer to Sasuke until their knees brushed. Almost melodramatically, Naruto picked up a cracker, broke it generously into two uneven pieces, and offered one to Sasuke in his outstretched hand.

"I feel bad about you not eating," Naruto said, smiling slightly. "Come on. We can share. I don't think I have lice or rabies or anything contagious."

Sasuke stared at the cracker that rested on Naruto's perspiration-slicked palm, hastening to decide whether or not to accept it. His belly tightened and his mouth moistened, and surrendering, he suspiciously reached out to take the biscuit. Naruto was almost surprised at how lightly Sasuke's fingers ghosted over his palm, almost as if he were fearful of being denied the morsel of food.

"Thank you," Sasuke mumbled, his own voice sounding foreign as he spoke the unfamiliar words. He snapped the piece of cracker into small bits, picking up each flake to chew on it carefully, holding it in place with his tongue. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, as if savoring the bland, powdery flavor.

"Is that all the food you've got?" Naruto asked wistfully, after a moment's silence to ensure he would not interrupt Sasuke.

"Just shut up, Naruto."

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"Taka! Taka, where are you?"

Hebi whisked through the trees, traveling in the characteristic Ninja way of leaping from branch to branch. Though he frequently cast worried glances from side to side, his movements were so fluid and easy that he never stirred a twig. Perfect precision and flexibility were required to be a successful ANBU, and even in his state of distress, Hebi remained flawless in form.

"Taka! Answer me," he repeated, his voice raspy and strained from continuous shouting. He tensed as the sole of his sandal made sharp contact with the leafy shoot of a tree, vaulting him forward in another powerful jump.

_What's with that idiot Taka? _Hebi seethed, wishing he could yank on his hair to express his pure exasperation. _Lady Hokage orders us out on a mission, and then he has to get himself separated from me. It wouldn't matter at all if I could just detect his presence, but I can't sense any chakra for at least three miles all around. I should be able to feel my chakra points pulsating when I get near him, since we share the identical format––even if he has cloaked his presence. But I can't help wondering if he's somehow gotten a lead on what all this blue chakra is._

"Ta––_ka_! Come on, birdbrain!" Muttering intelligible complaints to himself, Hebi glared angrily into the tangles of vegetation that hung limply in his path. He lifted his hand to swat the vines away, wincing as blunt thorns snagged the threads of his glove and poked into his skin.

_Maybe, wherever he is, he's onto Seven-Two-Three's trail, _Hebi mused, touching his hand to his lips to lick distractedly at his wounded fingers. _Lady Hokage wouldn't even tell me why she sent Seven-Two-Three out on a long mission, let alone why he's without a team. Seven-Two-Three's just a kid. He shouldn't be out in dangerous territory like this without me or Taka. _

_Yes, something is definitely up, _he decided, _and I can't say I'm fond of how Lady Tsunade is causing him to be even more secretive. He's drifting away from us––why, the little brat didn't even let me kiss him goodbye. If I could get to him now, I would––_

"Whoa!" The sudden exclamation burst from his mouth as the toe of his sandal hooked on a crooked limb. Caught by his foot, he was jerked backward, his flight interrupted before he abruptly began a chaotic downward descend.

"Mnngh!" The sound of frightened surprise ricocheted through the bends and slopes of the forest, bouncing against the tree trunks as Hebi landed noisily. The impact jarred his insides so terribly that a wave of nausea swelled up into his throat and grayness swam in his vision. He coughed weakly, curling his shaking fingers into the soft earth. His hip had struck the ground first, catching the brunt of his landing, and the pain rippled from his side to burrow into every one of his nerves.

_Boy, did that hurt. _Clenching his jaw against a hiss as he waveringly pushed himself up, he sat upright and anxiously touched his palm to his stomach. He gasped involuntarily, the muscles of his abdomen contracting and seeming to shrivel at the contact.

He seldom tripped while traveling through the trees, and even when he did, he always managed to land decently without harming himself. He had no clue as to what fogged his mind so heavily that he lost his footing in such a foolish manner, and now, as he heaved for breath, his thoughts shifted yet again to Taka.

_I really hope he's doing okay. I wouldn't be able to bear it if anything happened to him because I wasn't there. I'm going to _kill _that boy for separating from me in this place, _he vowed.

Pain coursing through his middle, Hebi dutifully summoned enough strength and dignity to stand. He ignored the burning aches as he swayed precariously, holding his slender arms for balance. Once certain that he still claimed usage of all his limbs, he managed to crouch down, gathering chakra in the balls of his feet to launch himself upward in the execution of a wobbly leap.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

Taka frowned thoughtfully, his expression one of wary concentration as he silently eased his way toward the edge of the overhanging cliff. The entire forest loomed before him in a beautiful sea of treetops, the individual leaves merging together as a swamp of soft green.

_This is the highest point around, _Taka thought, worriedly biting his lower lip. _But I can see for miles. If I can't spot Seven-Two-Three from here, then he's hidden himself very well. I'm almost proud of him for giving us such a hard time... he's learned well, I guess._

Raising a hand to shield his face from the setting sun, he let his hard black eyes melt into scarlet orbs. The tiny comma-like flecks surrounding his pupil began to rotate rapidly, and the world flickered into negative color as his vision enhanced tenfold. Trees changed from green to a silvery blue and the sky darkened into a deep, ominous purple.

Taka blinked rapidly, adjusting to the usage of the _Sharingan:_ Mirror Wheel Eye.

_I can't see a sign of them, _he thought, miffed that even his advanced Mirror Wheel Eye could not detect either Sasuke or Hebi. _And I can't understand what this cloud of blue chakra is. It's like smoke––everywhere. It's even fogging my Sharingan. I can barely see the squirrels running around down there._

Shaking his head in disgust, Taka closed his eyes to deactivate his _Sharingan. _He grimaced as his sight cleared, the colors of his surroundings returning to their natural glow.

_Seven-Two-Three has to be cloaking himself. All I can see is a bright flash of red chakra. It's a lot bright than any of our chakras, _he noted. _That has to be the Nine-Tails container, Seven-Two-Three's charge. If Seven-Two-Three is cloaking himself, why would he leave the Nine-Tails boy out in the open? Something must be going on._

_I wish Hebi were here. I could use his good sense of direction right about now, _he thought wryly. _I do hope he's alright. He warned me of this area even before we got here. Said there's bandits and foreign Ninja everywhere. I just pray he's taken his own advice instead of rushing through, making a fool of himself._

Taka sighed remorsefully, cupping his hand against the short snout of his dog mask to push it back up his forehead. His mind full of longing for the companionship of his brothers, he lifted his fingers in the Half-Tiger seal, vanishing in a spiral of wispy chakra.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"Um... so Sasuke, how exactly is hiding your chakra signature gonna help us find out where the enemy is?" Naruto idly scratched his head, his tousled stalks of pale straw-like hair rustling.

Sasuke lowered his head in steady concentration, his palms pressed tightly together in front of his chest as he focused on dulling the tumultuous black chakra that swirled throughout his circulatory system.

"Because," he finally answered, looking up. "Since I know what's going on, now, I can retaliate."

"Really?" Naruto's voice could have held either sarcasm or relief. "So spill it, then. Who's after us? Are you gonna hide yourself, but leave me as I am? Are you trying to save your own pasty backside instead of mine?"

"To be honest, I wish you knew how much I'd like to leave you here," Sasuke murmured quietly. "But sadly, I'd probably lose my reputation if I did. Look, though––I know you aren't very bright, but please listen to me. Try to get what I'm telling you."

Naruto's lips fell into a tight, flat line as he regarded the false note of patience that was present in Sasuke's words.

"Now, you can sense this blue chakra cloud, right? I'm not entirely sure, but I remember being in a battle simulation with a _Byakugan _user once."

"_Byakugan_?" Naruto repeated. "I've heard of that."

"It's called the All Seeing White Eye," Sasuke explained. "It's a Bloodline Limit technique that's passed down to all members of the Hyūga clan. The Hyūga are able to use it just like some people use the _Sharingan: _Mirror Wheel Eye. Basically, using the All Seeing White Eye gives the user a nearly 360-degree field of vision––I think it can stretch for fifty meters all around."

"So what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, I was just thinking. I've seen the chakra that's emitted by Hyūgas when they use _Byakugan. _And this chakra is a perfect match."

Contemplatively, Naruto rubbed the crook of his forefinger over his chin, stroking his short whiskers of stubble.

"Aren't Hyūgas big on medicines and things like that? You know... aromatherapy, things like that."

"I haven't really heard. What are you thinking?" Being reminded of medicine, Sasuke yanked his belt around to fumble through his canvas knapsack, withdrawing a small tube of salve. He studied its label carefully, as if the tiny script would provide insight to the matter of the unseen enemy.

"I was just wondering." Naruto shrugged carelessly. "I mean, haven't you been feeling sorta sick since this chakra fog came along?"

"Now that you mention it, I have been feeling more lightheaded and nauseous than usual."

Naruto winced, perhaps frightened by the prospect of Sasuke vomiting anywhere near his shoes. "Well, don't you think it could be the chakra? Maybe it's not just the chakra itself. Maybe it's a spell. Like a Secret Arts technique."

"Actually, Naruto, you could be onto something," said Sasuke, somewhat impressed by Naruto's hypothesis. "You could be right––there could be a Hyūga somewhere around here, casting some kind of spell to make us ill. He probably has doppelgangers around to keep the technique going. If that's all there is to it, then my plan should work."

"And what's this plan?" asked Naruto innocently.

"Like I said. I'll hide my chakra format, and this enemy might think you're alone. Then he can come out after you, and that's when I'll attack. By the time he gets close enough to see I'm actually here, he won't have enough time to run away."

Naruto hummed thoughtfully as he mulled over the essence of Sasuke's speech, more in awe that Sasuke had spoken so much to him in the span of mere minutes than what meaning his words had actually held.

"Wait..." Abruptly, the pensive shimmer in Naruto's eyes flattened into a shine of started disbelief. "So what you mean is that I'm the _bait?_"

"That is correct." Sedately, Sasuke lifted a finger, holding it mere inches from Naruto's half-opened lips to shush him. "Now, if you would be ever so kind, will you shut up? I need to keep from being stressed so I can maintain my chakra cover."

Surprised, Naruto stared into Sasuke's eyes, feeling Sasuke's finger hovering so close to his mouth that it stirred the fine blond hairs of his upper lip. Involuntarily, he pulled back, his brows lowering in an indignant scowl.

"Don't treat me like I'm a kid," Naruto muttered, glancing to the side to avoid meeting Sasuke's sharp gaze. "I won't make a sound, I promise."

"Thank you," Sasuke said sweetly, enjoying Naruto's sulky reaction and grateful for the silence.

Sullenly, Naruto thrust his hands into his tight pockets and licked his lip, squinting upward into the dusky evening sky. The fading sunlight filtered through the tree leaves, casting small patches of orange over the ground. It reminded him of the many lunches he had shared with his father beneath the cherry trees in their expansive yard.

_I wonder what Dad's doing now..._

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"Lord Namikaze. May I enter?" Politely, Ebisu lingered in the doorway, dipping his head in greeting. As he straightened, he absentmindedly poked his glasses back up the bridge of his beak-like nose.

"Of course. Please come in, Master Ebisu." Minato gestured to the comfortable plush chair in front of his desk. "Will you sit down? You're rather early for our council meeting."

"Oh, no. I didn't come for that, sir." Ebisu's voice remained taut, his eyes invisible behind his sunglasses and giving no hints of his mood. "Actually, we've received information on your son."

"You have? Already?" Minato nearly lost his grip on the stack of papers he held, several loose sheets fluttering from his hands and drifting to the floor. He leaned forward in his seat expectantly.

"How far is he from Shinkyoku?"

"That's why I was sent here to report to you, sir," Ebisu said, shifting nervously. He fiddled with the loose frame of his sunglasses, and as if the motion calmed him, he coughed softly to clear his throat.

"Sir, it seems that Master Naruto and his escort have encountered a bit of trouble. The Lady Hokage has gotten news that an S-rank band of Ninja were headed toward Shinkyoku this noon. All evidence suggests they were after Master Naruto, but we've already sent out a squad of our finest elite ANBU to further explore the area."

In spite of Ebisu's attempt at comforting him, Minato groaned helplessly, pressing the heel of his hand to his wide forehead.

"Oh, no... Master Ebisu, don't tell me it was Akatsuki again."

"No, no, no!" Ebisu's angular face paled in horror of his own vague description. "I assure you, sir, it wasn't Akatsuki. Just a trio of Ninja from different countries. I doubt they'll be any serious threat. Master Naruto is fully capable of handling himself on the battlefield."

"I shouldn't have sent him out, Master Ebisu." Minato agonized over the issue, tapping his knuckles against the desktop as his agitation grew. "If he's in just as much danger in Shinkyoku as he would be right here at home, I should call him back. Even if the rouges attacked here, at least I could keep an eye on him.

"I surely hope he's all right out there, without anyone to tend to him. I didn't trust that little ANBU boy. I could certainly assign a hundred––a _thousand_––Black Ops to Naruto! He'd be much safer here. That's it," he finished decisively, "I'm sending a team out to bring him back."

"Don't get excited, Lord Namikaze," Ebisu soothed, holding out his hands in a pleading gesture. "Sending out a whole other squad would be completely unnecessary. Master Naruto's bodyguard is a perfectly capable young man. Did we not check his history records? I'm sure he's well suited to protecting your son. If you summon them back here, you are only endangering them further."

His attempt at pacifying Minato proved to be successful. Slowly, Minato lowered himself to his chair, his eyes darkening with concern as he returned to his task of sorting documents.

Ebisu observed in guilty silence for a long moment, before weakly apologizing. "I'm sorry, sir. It wasn't any intention of mine to make you––"

Minato raised his head, and Ebisu's throat tightened. The young Feudal Lord's lips thinned as he flashed a lovely, affectionate white smile toward Ebisu.

"You are free to go at any time, Ebisu," Minato said, closing his eyes trustingly. "Thank you for your report."

That smile never wobbled or flattened. Ebisu stared at Minato's face for a short instant, and his skin went ashen. A chill passed down his back, and he stiffly returned the smile before departing as abruptly as he had entered. He made sure to close the door behind him, letting it click quietly into place.

Minato kept still, listening intently to Ebisu's rapid footsteps. Once they faded entirely, and he was certain no one remained in the near vicinity to hear him, he dropped his head to the desk and curled his fingers into his hair. The tears he had hidden beneath his mask of a tender smile advanced.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

"Sakura?" Hinata winced as Sakura took a bold step toward Kakuzu; the two were engaged in a fiery verbal battle. Sakura's arms were folded over her large chest, and after every word she spoke, she clenched her hands tighter around her elbows. Kakuzu's eyes were mere slits as he glared disapprovingly down at Sakura.

"Lord Kakuzu, with all due respect," Sakura said, "I don't care what you say. I saw what I saw, sir, and it would make me happy if you believe what I tell you!"

"Sakura... what's going on?" Timidly, Hinata crept closer, halting at Sakura's side. Her wide white eyes reflected her worry, and stifling a friendly giggle, Sakura looped her arm around Hinata's shoulders and drew her closer.

"Hinata, go ahead and tell Lord Kakuzu what you saw when you had your _Byakugan _activated earlier."

"Um..." Nervously, Hinata scratched her manicured fingernail over her soft pink cheek. "Well... I saw... the ANBU boy. And... I saw... the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. And... two others."

"We know that," Sakura said patiently, giving Hinata a gentle encouraging squeeze. "Lord Kakuzu knows you don't lie to him. He doesn't believe that I saw two other people with identical chakra signatures."

Frightened now that she held the responsibility of giving the correct answer, Hinata swallowed back the warmth that oozed into her mouth. Kakuzu's stare felt heavy, and she pushed deeper into Sakura's side as if for protection.

"It is true... Lord Kakuzu," she said tentatively, her voice high and shallow. "There... are four people down there... in the forest. The Jinchūriki, and the ANBU with him... and two other men who have the same chakra format as the ANBU. They are... all exactly the same."

Kakuzu found himself at a loss to explain the phenomenon. How was he to give a logical excuse for something such as that? Every individual claimed a unique chakra signature, even closely related people such as siblings––it was something extraordinary to be told that there were not only two identical chakra flames, but _three. _The only possible solution that entered his mind was an unusually odd one.

"Hinata," Kakuzu said slowly, "have you heard anything about a cloning headquarters in the Leaf Village?"

"Cloning?" Hinata repeated, her eyes betraying her confusion. "As in... human genetic cloning?"

The idea disgusted her. Despite being an infamous criminal of S-ranked abilities, there were things that even she knew to be cruel and unorthodox. Cloning was one of them. She could not conjure up an image of the person who had taken it upon himself to _clone _a person. People were meant to have personalities of their own, not to live as perfect copies of another human being.

"I––I could not be... entirely sure, sir," she stammered, too absorbed in sorting out her thoughts to attempt smoothing out her characteristic choppy speech. "Though it is... a great possibility, I could not be certain of it. Perhaps... I can contact your teammate... while he is still in the Leaf."

"You will not," Kakuzu said coldly. "That will be for me to handle. I must ensure that we are not disturbing Hidan while he is in hiding, gathering information. I will know when it's the right time to contact him. Until this mission is cleared and we have the Nine-Tails in our possession, any further talk of clones will be ignored. It was only a presumption."

"So they're actually here?" Sakura asked wearily. "There could be a bunch of clones down there? That worries me, sir. I thought we were dealing with only the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki. He seemed strong enough, just himself. The ANBU didn't seem like very much to worry about, though."

"Then why worry about clones? If they're all the same, they all probably have the same skill base."

"You're right, sir." Sakura shuddered in her cloak, and Hinata drew closer to her. "But all the same, it's creepy. Doppelgangers are one thing, but clones? They scare me. The doppelgangers can be controlled, and they last only for a short while. But the clones are created like they are. They don't have a childhood. They're actually _made _for battle. They remind me of monsters."

"I... hope Lord Madara gives this team... the credit for capturing the Nine-Tails," Hinata said, merely to plug something into the silence.

"Of course we'll get the credit," Kakuzu spat, the discussion of clones also making him uneasy. "We'll generously take both the credit and the pay. Wouldn't it be excellent to have the Fire Country without a ruler? As soon as we eliminate the heir to the land, we'll have practically signed a contract to the ownership of the Fire Country. Without an heir, the Feudal Lord is at a loss. When he passes, there will be no one to oversee the government's actions."

Hinata nodded in agreement, while Sakura stood wearing an amused grin. Sakura did happen to be the most intelligent of the three, and especially held a vast amount of knowledge on how the regime operated.

"That's all fine, sir," she piped, "but what I would like to know right now is how we're going to pull this operation off. I mean, I doubt Hinata's Secret Arts technique will last much longer, especially not with her having to keep so many doppelgangers active at once. And I'm not sure, but I think the ANBU is onto us. Because if I'm seeing right, the Jinchūriki is by himself."

"Alone?" Kakuzu nearly choked on his gasp. "Hinata, you look. Quickly!"

"Yes, Lord Kakuzu." Hinata clenched her delicate fingers together, rapidly forming hand seals. "_Byakugan: _All Seeing White Eye!"

She stared with focused energy at the woods that loomed before them. The intricacy of her pale eyes became more evident as her Bloodline Limit trait spurred into action. The veins beneath her eye sockets grew prominent as her vision was strained, much effort being put into keeping steady her state of enhanced sight.

"I... see them," she whispered weakly, her strength draining. "They are very far apart, though. There are... three of them, now. One of the black chakras is missing. I see a... red chakra body... the Jinchūriki. The other two have black chakra. Sakura is right, sir. The black chakras are the same. They are... mirror images."

"So what about the Jinchūriki?" Kakuzu prodded, not as interested in the concept of clones as he was in the one of finally capturing his target.

"H––he is alone, sir," Hinata said in confirmation. "If one... of those black chakra masses is the ANBU guard, he is... at least a mile away from the Nine-Tails vessel. Something... is wrong, sir. No well-trained ANBU in his right mind... would abandon his charge without a good reason."

"What are we going to do about that, sir?" asked Sakura, absentmindedly twirling a strand of her pink hair around her thumb. "Are we still going after the Jinchūriki?"

"Sakura, I know you play down your abilities to give everyone the benefit of the doubt," Kakuzu said sternly. "Think about it. If you were on a mission and were suspicious that someone was following you, would _you _leave your charge out in the open like that?

"My only guess is that the ANBU child knows what's going on. He must be doing his best to keep us from finding them. He wants to lure us into a false skirmish. And that's our key point, right there."

Hinata let her eyelids slip shut, the sun searing her sensitive pupils. Kakuzu's experienced wisdom never ceased to amaze her; as she cracked one eye open to peer at him, he gave a low chuckle of approval.

"You know the boy's weakness, do you not, Hinata?" he asked, fully expectant of the correct answer.

"Of course," Hinata said politely, shifting her gaze to stare timidly at the ground. "If he is... putting that much effort into hiding, he must be... he must be afraid to fight. He wants a battle... to be the last resort, which naturally leads me... into b––believing that there is a special reason... why he does not wish to fight us."

"Exactly." Kakuzu may have been beaming beneath his thick woolen mask, but there was no precise way of knowing. "And both of you should know as well as I do what that means for us."

"Does it mean we can finally get what we came for?" Sakura asked eagerly.

"It does. At last, we can bring the Jinchūriki to Lord Madara for extraction. Obtaining the Nine-Tails is the first step to activating the full power of all ten beasts combined."

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't really know how much NaruSasu will be in this now. It all depends on how the last few chapters go. Sasuke isn't gay, and neither is Naruto, hence all the teasing about Sakura. But because they spend so much time together and Sasuke is a reckless teenager, they will get in a couple of hugs and kisses. I can't very well do very much without it becoming shota, now that Sasuke is sixteen and Naruto is twenty-seven. I plan on having the end of this story being angsty, but I change my mind often.


	5. The Enemy Revealed

**MASK**

**Author's Note: **Eep. I actually think I've managed to write 40,000+ words in a week. I have never wanted to cry more. Except when I read how terrible the first chapters were. Honestly, those were embarrassing. So many grammatical mistakes and too many unnecessary words. My descriptions were on overload, the dialogue was flat and what one would expect to see in any NaruSasu story. I used way too many bookisms (the words that replace 'said', such as 'muttered', 'snapped', etc.) and while they are fine in moderation, I used them all the time, thinking I was smart. I learned otherwise. I am much more pleased with this version of _Mask, _though, and I hope to finish it someday. I refuse to let it waste away.

* * *

**0000**

**Chapter Five: _The Enemy Revealed_**

**0000**

"This is kind of scaring me, Sasuke." Crouching listlessly, his back pressed against a rough, ragged log, Naruto idly picked at a mass of lichen that clung to the craggy bark.

"What's scary?" Sasuke asked with a sigh, his expression flat. He sounded not unlike a harried schoolteacher who had been rushing about in pursuit of a herd of children for hours on end.

Not seeming to notice that he was the main cause of Sasuke's blatant fatigue, Naruto continued, lowering his voice secretively.

"This is," he whispered, glancing from side to side as if to ensure no eavesdroppers were in the near vicinity. "It's creepy. Sitting out here in the woods at night. Alone. Unprotected. Don't get me wrong, here, Sas', I know you're my guard and everything, but... sheesh, I don't even know."

Frustrated by his inability to explain his anxieties, Naruto snapped off a hard section of moss and crumbled it between his fingers.

"It's just eerie," he said finally. "Being out here, knowing that someone could jump out at any second, ready to kill me. Knowing that there actually are people who want me dead."

Sasuke gave a quiet snort of disdain, barely listening to Naruto as he deftly unscrewed the cap of a tube of salve. He struggled to roll up his sleeve, exposing a large, blood-encrusted scratch that ran along the inside of his arm, over the tender flesh of his elbow. As he moved, flakes of dried black blood fell from his skin, and he grimaced in disgust.

"Face it, Naruto," he grunted, twisting around in an attempt to reach the scratch. The awkward position of the wound made cleaning it nearly impossible.

"You just have to... grow up someday," he said in a mutter, wrenching around the opposite way. "You need to learn that Ninja have to put up with things like this. We always have to stay one edge. Ninja don't really put faith in people at all. They don't ever actually have close friends, because that friend could turn on them at any second. They can't have the peace of thinking there are no enemies. You have to understand that we _kill _each other."

There was a long pause. Then ruefully, almost chuckling, Naruto clasped his large hands loosely to rest them on his knees, shaking his head.

"You're a nice kid, Sas'. I like how you think you've got the world figured out." Before Sasuke could protest indignantly, Naruto frowned, silencing him.

"But you're still really young. You might have seen a lot in your time, but you haven't seen anything like some of us older folks have. And maybe you do have problems, but Sunshine, you aren't the only one. I have some things going on in my life, too, believe it or not.

"For one thing, I don't want to be the next Feudal Lord," he said softly. "I don't want to be the one to send people out to fight in the wars; I'd hate it. I couldn't stand to send my friends and family away for them to die. You can make fun of it all you want. You can say it's stupid or girly for caring about people. But it doesn't matter."

The only sound was the rustling of the leaves and the grating _cheerup-cheerup _of crickets. Sasuke let his eyes close, weary from both Naruto's solemn speech and his efforts to rub salve on his wound. Before now, he would not have thought that Naruto was capable of speaking seriously. And Naruto seemed offended––hurt by what Sasuke had said to him. Sasuke vaguely wondered if Naruto truly could experience grief. Even now, as Naruto vented his annoyance, a bereft, lonesome smile adorned his mouth.

"Don't worry about it, though," Naruto said offhandedly, noting how Sasuke's eyes glowed with confusion. "Like I said, you're still little. There's a lot you don't know, and a lot you don't need to find out just yet."

Rather than retorting, Sasuke sat quietly, mulling over this information. Naruto misinterpreted his downcast spirit as Sasuke having been overwhelmed by his description of war and death, and he suddenly felt guilty.

"Are you... okay, Sas'?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke said, shaking his head to flip his shock of dark hair across his forehead. "And I told you to stop calling me that."

"You act like you're having a bit of trouble." Naruto laughed lightly, changing the subject quickly and effectively. "That's a nasty scratch on your arm. Did you get it when we were going through that thicket several hours ago?"

"Those thorns cut right down through my sweater," Sasuke admitted, relieved that Naruto had abandoned his somber monologue. "My brother gave me this salve. It's supposed to speed up the healing process."

"Oh. I had a girlfriend several years ago," Naruto said absentmindedly. "She was really into medicines and things. She made salves and stuff as a hobby and gave some to me every time we met. I used to be really clumsy, so I got hurt almost all the time."

"I thought you were big on training," Sasuke remarked accusingly. "I saw you. You were doing okay with those throwing stars earlier this morning."

"Quiet, you," Naruto said with a friendly laugh. "I said I _used _to be clumsy. I got over that. I had a really great teacher."

"What happened to him?"

"He left." Naruto shrugged nonchalantly. "You know how it goes. A teacher works with you for a little while, and then, once he can't teach you anymore, he leaves to go train someone else."

"You must've had a really stupid teacher."

"Why would you say that?" Naruto exclaimed, stunned by Sasuke's bluntness.

"You just said that a teacher leaves when he's taught you all he can. You're stupid, so your teacher couldn't have done much for you if he actually did help."

Naruto rolled his eyes in a gesture of exasperation, not bothering to defend his previous tutor or scold Sasuke for being so carelessly rude.

"Look, Sunshine, do you need me to bandage that scratch or not?" Naruto asked, spreading his fingers as he pointed to Sasuke. "'Cause if you keep running that mouth, I might not think of tending to you anymore."

Sasuke tilted his head, lifting his shoulders casually. "You can fix it if you want to," he said neutrally. "I'll be all right, even if you don't. I usually don't bother with bandaging myself."

Naruto felt a surge of anger toward Sasuke's flippancy, but an unfamiliar twinge of sympathy came along with it.

"Come here," he said grudgingly, relenting. "I'll wrap it for you. Get the roll of gauze out of your pack."

Breathing a long-suffering sigh, Sasuke stood, plucking his heavy knapsack from among the piles of fallen leaves. He trudged to where Naruto sat beside the large log, dropping a small roll of gauze tape in front of him.

"Don't use it all," he said snidely. He felt that Naruto's act of kindness must be repaid by sour complaints; he could not allow Naruto to see that his gentleness embarrassed him. The only person to have ever lovingly patched Sasuke's injuries was Taka. _And he's my brother, _Sasuke thought dryly. _That's a completely different thing._

"I bet you've never wrapped a wound in your life," Sasuke said, huffily turning his head. "Bet you have servants to do it for you."

Patiently, Naruto smiled, patting his shin almost as if to urge Sasuke to sit down on his lap. Disgusted, Sasuke deliberately took a retreating step backward before plopping to the ground. He unwillingly thrust his arm toward Naruto, drawing his legs up and hooking his free arm beneath his knees to squeeze his thighs against his chest.

"That must've been a giant monster of a thorn," Naruto commented with a sly grin. "You got scratched from here to here."

To illustrate, he touched his rough finger to the underside of Sasuke's wrist, dragging it along the cut. Sasuke flinched, his skin burning painfully in response to the undesired provocation. Naruto's finger brushed so lightly over his flesh that it stirred the barely visible hairs of his arm, sending flurries of tickles down his back that he vainly attempted to ignore.

Seeming to sense Sasuke's discomfort, Naruto withdrew, moving his hand to hold it beneath Sasuke's elbow. Keeping Sasuke's arm outstretched, he removed the cap of the salve tube with his teeth, fumbling to squeeze a small amount of the cold yellow lotion onto his fingertip. He spat the tiny plastic cap from his mouth, grimacing at the foul taste as he gingerly dabbed the liquid over Sasuke's wound.

"Tell me if it starts hurting you too much," Naruto said, concentrating on his task. "This stuff smells like it'd burn the fire outta you."

Sasuke nodded curtly, resting his chin on the steel armor plates that covered his knees. He stared hollowly into the distance, watching as shadows dripped through the trees. The mournful call of doves floated through the twilight, and he felt an unexpected wave of drowsiness waft through his head, making his eyelids sink.

"There. I'm done," Naruto announced, clipping the metal clasp into place over the gauze he had wound about the length of Sasuke's slim arm. He tugged on the bandage experimentally, ensuring it would not be worked loose.

Somewhat impressed, Sasuke let his free hand fall on his forearm. He rubbed his thumb along the tight wrapping, noticing how neatly the gauze had been tucked.

"You do this a lot, don't you?" he asked, almost––but not quite––remorseful of insulting Naruto's abilities.

"Sure I do." Naruto gazed at Sasuke curiously. "My dad taught me all kinds of things. He taught me plenty of medical techniques."

"What about your mother? Doesn't she stay around at all? Or did you scare her away?"

A slight grin lifted the corner of Naruto's lips, and Sasuke immediately regretted his question.

"That's kind of why my dad teaches me so many healing techniques," Naruto said, looking down at Sasuke's bandaged arm. "Mom loved helping people. But medics use up their energy faster than any other kind of Ninja. Their life spans are always shorter than average."

"Oh." Sasuke knew what Naruto's vague statement meant. He wished to offer some sort of consolation––even a short "I'm sorry" would have been less awkward than simply remaining silent. But Naruto seemed unhurt by Sasuke's lack of care, and abruptly, Sasuke roused himself to his feet, brushing the leaves from his trousers.

"We should get going," he said, peering up at the soft purple clouds. Faint stars twinkled like shards of broken glass in the sky. "It'll be completely dark soon, but we need to find a better place to bed down. I wish we could get to some water. I don't smell any, though, so we probably won't make it to some tonight."

"Okay." Tiredly, Naruto stood, his tall frame towering above Sasuke's. He scrubbed his hand into his mussed hair, and his eyes seemed dull with sleep.

"We'll get to rest soon," Sasuke reminded in begrudging encouragement. "Just keep going for awhile. Don't try to hold me back from getting to Shinkyoku."

"Now, why would I ever do that?" Agreeably, Naruto clasped his fingers behind his head, throwing his back into a rough stretch. Feeling mildly refreshed, he trotted behind Sasuke, almost accustomed to the smog of blue chakra that still smudged the air.

* * *

**0000**

* * *

Exertion ravaged all extremities of Sasuke's body. Exhaustion feasted as if starved on every one of his cells, sucking away his enthusiasm and along with it, his patience.

The entire ordeal was abnormal in all ways. At any other time, Sasuke would have been fully capable of hiking uphill at a constant pace for days. Rather proud of his stamina, he likely would have _ran _the whole way to Shinkyoku merely to boast his endurance.

But now, even after numerous breaks for rest and to regain a steady rate of breathing, Sasuke felt as though every movement ripped his ligaments into useless shreds. The muscles of his arms and legs were rubbery and no longer worthy to be confident of. His joints felt like a cheap jelly, slippery and thin.

_This is terrible, _Sasuke thought, searching the scenery for any sign of familiar territory. Just as his eyes left the ground, he stumbled, lurching forward and flailing for balance. He planted his feet firmly into the earth, and swaying lightly, he began to chew on the soft insides of his cheeks nervously.

_I never get like this. It's like I'm ill. And I thought I felt bad earlier... I never give out so fast. Only a day of walking, and I feel like I'm about to drop. Even Naruto––the dope to shame all dopes––looks like he's ready to give in. I told him we'd set up our beds for the night, but there's no way we can while we're being followed. It's like... there's no way out._

Stricken by a suffocating sense of panic, Sasuke swallowed, glancing warily from side to side. He recalled Naruto's suspicions of the chakra haze being the cause of their weakness, and quickly, he ducked his head.

_It's like a maze, _he thought, feeling a light sense of giddy dizziness nudging against the back of his skull. _We got ourselves in, no problem. But no matter how many walls we break down, we can't get free. We can go in circles forever, but it won't help. Both of us are sick. We're surrounded by an enemy. We can either keep going until we drop, or challenge who's after us. But I doubt even I could finish them. All I really feel like doing right now is crawling under a bush somewhere to throw up. _

"Sasuke?" Naruto called quietly, his voice hoarse and rough. "It's really... really late. When can we set up our beds? I'm so tired..."

If Sasuke had still a portion of energy to waste, he would have spun around to kick the steel toe of his boot against Naruto's shin. He felt sure he could not tolerate another word from Naruto's oversized mouth. He had withstood so much whining and complaining in a single day––what more could be expected of him?

"I don't know how to tell you this in a way you can understand," Sasuke said, startling himself by how feeble he sounded. Deliberately speaking louder to control the wobble in his tone, he continued sourly.

"There are people following us. I'd just love to sleep now. I would fall down on the spot. But if we put ourselves in a vulnerable position, we would be stupid. More stupid than usual, in cases such as yours."

"Gee. Gee, thanks, Sunshine," Naruto said sardonically, and although he was behind Sasuke, Sasuke could still detect his sneer. "Even when we're hanging over the tail end of danger, you still have to act like a baby. Do you want me to sit down for awhile so you can think of everything bad about me? Would you be able to get it all out just in a few hours?"

"If you really aren't _stupid_," Sasuke said, emphasizing the insult, "you wouldn't get defensive. If you think you aren't, then it shouldn't matter what_ I_ think of you."

"But it does matter," Naruto murmured thinly. "I actually kind of liked you at first, Sunshine. I wanted to be your friend. I wanted to talk and laugh with you on our way to Shinkyoku. I even hoped that you could be like a kid brother. I've given up on that now. But I still don't want us to be angry the whole time."

Sasuke did not hesitate in replying. "If you don't want me to be angry, don't do anything that will make me angry. Got it?"

"You're so snippy. If I didn't think 'Sunshine' suited you better, I'd call you Snips."

"If I have my druthers, I'd rather be Snips. And just how does 'Sunshine' suit me?"

"So quick-witted," Naruto said with an audible smirk, swiping his finger loosely before him as if marking a point on a scoreboard. "Tell you what. I'll let you in on why your name is Sunshine, if you tell me why you're such a pill all the time."

Sasuke did not answer, but Naruto paid no heed to this and said anyway, "I call you Sunshine because it's ironic. Sunshine is bright and happy and smiley. You're all... dark and mad and frowny."

"And that makes so much sense," remarked Sasuke sarcastically.

"Now it's your turn," Naruto said, ignoring Sasuke's tart comment. "Tell me why you hate me so much."

"I'm not obligated to." Feeling as if so much chatter was wearing his throat raw, Sasuke quickened his step, his long, uneven strides propelling him even further ahead of Naruto.

"Come on! I kept my side of the deal. I said that if I told you, you would have to tell me something. It's only fair."

"Life isn't fair!" Sasuke retorted childishly.

Realizing that he had embarrassed Sasuke, Naruto sighed, letting his head fall forward until his chin nearly rested on his collarbone. No matter what he did, he always managed to worsen his barely existent relationship with Sasuke.

_Maybe the kid is right, _he thought miserably. _Maybe... just maybe... I'm really not as smart as I think I am._

* * *

**Author's Note: **I don't really know how it is to be completely exhausted to the point of wanting to drop dead, but I have a vague idea. Once, we went to a national park and went hiking through the trails. We got lost. And it began to rain. Hard. With lightning and thunder. So we ran and fell in puddles and mudholes and I almost lost my glasses, along with a shoe. By the time we found our way back, I decided that I hate nature.


End file.
